Fushigi Yugi: Dansei Tsure
by Ten-Faced Paladin
Summary: This is what happens if a boy travelled with Miaka and Yui into the Universe of the Four Gods.
1. Chapter 1

I do not own Fushigi Yugi. Those belong to Yu Watase. I find the work inspiring and entertaining. I do not own anything concerning her work and I hope those who read this enjoy it. I am only writing it for fun. 

Fushugi Yugi: Dansei Tsure

By Ten-Faced Paladin

Chapter 1: The Mysterious Priestess and the Stalwart Knight

The schoolday had been pretty slow. The entire class seemed pretty into the lesson. All except two people. One was a girl named Miaka. She was the usual fifteen-year old girl who had her black hair done up in buns. She was slumped against her desk and was muttering something about food.

The other person who seemed uninterested in the lesson was a boy named Matthew McKinnon. He was an exchange student who had lucked out for where he was. He was tall for his age and had brown hair which was sligthly shaggy. He was only disinterested because he had read ahead of the class and knew the material already. Well, that and that he was sending a glance or two at Miaka. He hated to admit it but he was attracted to the sleeping girl. She just looked so cute when she was sleeping.

The teacheer was talking about the subject when he suddenly noticed Miaka sleeping on her desk. He huffed in annoyance and started walking towards Miaka with a stern glance. The class was snickering and Matthew was no different. As the teacher came closer, Miaka suddenly became more distressed about something.

"Gimmie back my food!" she shrieked as she stood up quickly with her eyes shut.

"Gimmie back my cakes! My Noodles! My Pizza! You mean ghosts! Give it back!" she shrieked. With every shout she managed to kick the teacher.

She had picked up the desk to smash it on her 'evil ghosts' when Yui, the school brain, managed to catch her attention.

"Uh..Miaka. That was the teacher," she commented dryly.

Miaka finally opened her eyes and looked down. The teacher was sprawled on the ground with what seemed to be missing teeth. She began to laugh nervously as most of the other students began to sweatdrop.

"Well, whaddaya know," she laughed. "It was just a dream."

She heard someone snorting and everyone turned to see Matthew leaning over his desk trying to hold in his laughter. Miaka frowned as her eyebrow began twitching. She didn't like that exchange guy very much. He was always quiet and didn't talk to people very often. She knew because she tried to be friends with him. She had to help Yui show him around when he first came. The whole time he barely said anything. She thought he was just rude.

"So," Matthew smiled. "Since the teacher's out cold, can we go early?"

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"Ugh, I got in so muich trouble," Miaka sighed as her and her friends were eating at McDonalds.

"What did you expect?" Yui remarked. "Entrance exams are getting close and you're sleeping in class."

Suddenly, a voice spoke from the next booth, "In trouble? I'm surprised she wasn't arrested for assault!"

Miaka looked up alongside Yui and they were both looking into Matthew's eyes. He was leaning against the top of the seat.

"Who asked you?" Miaka frowned.

"Hi Matt," Yui smiled.

"Hey Yui," Matthew smiled. "And Miaka, I'm not saying it to be rude. Really. I'm saying it because it seemed like you knocked some teeth loose."

"Anyway," Miaka huffed, turning back to conversation. "What about the high school exams?"

"That's right!" Miaka's friend nodded. "Aren't you trying to get into Yotsubadi High Shcool?"

"Actually," Miaka replied as she chomped into her burger. "I'm trying for the school with that uniform."

She pointed over to another table where some high school girls were sitting. Miaka's friends gasped as they saw Matthew scratched his head n slight confusion while Yui just sighed.

"Are you kidding?" one of the girls shouted. "That's Jonan High! The top in the entire city!"

"What's the big deal?" Matthew asked. "I'm still getting some stuff in Japan so call me ignorant but an eduacation is an education isn't it?"

"It's Jonan High!" Miaka's friends shriekd, causing him to sweatdrop. "Only the smartest people get in there! The exam is a terror! But if you can get in you get some high quality schooling!"

"If you say so," Matthew shrugged.

"So what school are you going to try for?" Yui asked in curiosity.

"I don't know if I'll be able to," Matthew sighed. "My time here is almost up and I don't know if they'll let me stay longer or if they want to call me back."

"That's too bad," Yui sighed. "But if you can stay, what school would you go to?"

"Yotsubadai," Matt replied. "Familiar faces and not as tense. I want to go where I'm not being examined and practically alone."

"Seems a little low to me," Yui commented. "I saw your grades. You could get into Jonan with me."

Matthew just shrugged. Miaka looked at her watch and put her burger back down.

"Hey Yui," she asked. "Can I copy your notes for today? I need them before cram school starts."

"Sure," Yui nodded. "But We'll have to get to the library. I need to check out some books."

"Mind if I join you?" asked Matthew. "I've been meaning to head over there."

"Sure," Yui smiled. "But you'd better keep up."

Miaka's eye started twitching but she didn't argue. The three teens left their booths and headed for the door.

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At the central library, Yui and Miaka were writing notes furiously while looking through books, Matthew was reading through some books and mythology. He was intersted in tales and folklore of other countries. Miaka had just finished telling what her dream was about.

"You were being chased by teachers?" Yui asked incrediously.

"I've just be studying into the night lately." Miaka sighed.

"I know you're doing this for your mom, but you've got to take it easy," Yui frowned.

"I agree," Matthew nodded. "If you keep like this you'll miss everything that makes being a teenager fun."

Miaka looked to the floor in deep thought. She didn't really want to go to Jonan, but her mom was just so excited at the prospect of Miaka going there. She wanted to make her mom happy but there was no way she was going to get in.

While she was thinking, she dropped her pen on the ground. It rolled down a corridor of shelves and Miaka was quick to follow it. Yui followed quickly while Matthew followed out of curiosity. Miaka finally caught her pen, but they found a door to what seemed to be a private part of the library.

"What's this room for?" Yui asked in curiosity.

Miaka reached for the door when somethign unexpected happened. The entire room started shaking. Miaka shrieked along with Yui and the two of them leaped into the room in front of them. Matthew quickly followed, seeing it as a good idea.

As they steppid in, the shaking stopped. Matthew breathed a sigh of relief. Yui held her hand over her heart in relief.

"Is it over?" Miaka squeaked in fear.

"I think so," Yui confirmed. "What kind of earthquake was that?"

Miaka's attention was diverted when a book fell from the shelf. Yui was examining all the rare titles on the shelves as Matthew and Miaka looked at the book that had fallen.

"Hey Yui," Miaka called. "Look at this."

Yui looked and read the title of the book.

"Universe of the Four Gods?" she asked. "What the heck is that?"

"Sounds like the Saint Beasts to me," Matthew commented.

"Looks like a Japanese translation to a Chinese story," Miaka added. "Let's read!"

_Herein contains th tale if a mere youth's quest to gather the seven constellations of Suzaku together._

"What's a Suzaku?" Miaka asked

"I dunno," Yui replied. "A sort of peacock I guess."

"He's a god," Matthew answered. "A pheonix god of the south. Calling him a peacock would be an insult."

"Oh," both girls commented.

_And If you, the esteemed reader, should read to the story's end, the spell contained within shall bestow upon you the powers of this brave youth, and grant you your wish. For indeed the moment th page is turned, the story will become reality._

"So if we read it then our wish will come true?" Miaka asked excitedly. "Sign me up!"

"You really don't believe that crap do you?" Miaka frowned.

"You never know," Matthew smiled. "We're talking about a god here."

The room started shaking again and Miaka squealed in fear. Both her and Yui dropped the book. Matthew saw books falling from the shelves and he covered both girls with his body so he would take the brunt of the damage. What none of them saw was that as the book fell, the page turned.

The rumbing quickly grew silent as all three of them anticipated something painful. Miaka and Yui opened their eyes and Matthew dared to look up. They were rendered speechless by what they were looking at. They definitely weren't in the library anymore. They were on a plain wich had several trees on it and a clear sky.

"I don't think we're in Kansas anymore," Matthew gulped.

"Where are we?" Miaka whispered, not hearing the last comment.

"Miaka?" Yui asked. "Does this hurt?"

Yui then planted an elbow into Miaka's head. Miaka started growling. She then planted a punch into Yui's chin.

"Of course that hurt!" she shrieked.

"Well, then if you are feeling pain then this can't be a dream," Matthew observed.

"Then where are we!" Miaka shriekd

"It sure ain't the land of Oz," Matthew smirked.

"I can handle the library being gone," Miaka trembled. "But thre's no Denny's or McDonalds or even even a simple ramen shop here!"

"Is food all you think about!" Yui shrieked.

Further argument was halted when Yui was suddenly hefted over a burly looking guy's shoulder.

"Aiee!" she shrieked.

"Hey!" Matthew shouted.

"Yui!" Miaka gasped.

The man lifted Yui up and grinned to his companion.

"She's a jewel!"he snickered.

"We'll make a fortune of her," his buddy agreed.

They had obviously chosen to ignore Matthew and Miaka. Matthew got up with his fists clenched, ready to fight. Before he really could though, Miaka suddenly spoke up.

"Nice outfits," she commented. "You guys dancers or something?"

The men facefautled. Matthew did too. Of all the stupid things to say in the conversation, that had to be one of the dumbest.

"you little brat!" the man who held Yiu shouted. "We're slavers!"

"What!" Miaka shrieked.

"A little help Miaka!" Yui cried.

Miaka tackled the first slaver in the chest. The assault surprised the man so much that he dropped her onto the ground. Matthew managed to lay a punch onto the second slaver, knocking him back.

"Run Yui!" Miaka cried.

The surprise didn't last long as the slavers quickly retaliated. One punched Matthew in the face and put him into the dirt. The other one slapped Miaka so to get her to stand back.

"You little twerp!" the man growled, preparing to hit her again.

Miaka closed her eyes while Matthew stumbled to his feeet to try and stop him. Everything froze in the next moment. Then, out of almost nowhere, someone new appeared. He was donned in chinese robes and had long black hair which was tied up. His most eye-catcching feature was the mark on his forehead.

"Stop it," the boy said darkly as he grabbed the slaver's arm.

"Why you-gaaah!" the slaver screamed in pain.

The reason for his pain? Simple. The boy had just twisted the slaver's arm back even further which caused it to snap.

"My arm!" the slaver cried as he was let go. "You broke my arm!"

The boy watched with a smirk as the two slavers ran off. Matthew stood up, shaking his head to get the stars out. Yui was busy wiping the blood off of the corner of Miaka's mouth.

"You okay?" the boy asked. "You're bleeding and the boy there looks like he got knocked a good one."

"I'm fine," Matthew replied while shaking his head. "How abot you Miaka?"

"I-I'm fine," Miaka sputtered.

"What's with this guy?" Yui whispered to her friend. "He's got some kind of mark on his head."

"Good," the boy smiled as he kneeled down and held out his hand. "You can skip the thanks. I'll just take the money."

"Huh?" both girls spoke quite intelligably.

"Knew there was a catch," Matthew sighed as he began digging in his pockets.

"Of course," the boy smirked. "Money makes the world go round. Didn't you know that?"

"You jerk!" Yui frowned.

"Forget it Yui," Matthew sighed. "How much for the rescue?"

"Well I'm running a special demsel-in-distress deal today," the boy smiled. "It will just be a simple thirty Mon on your part."

"...okay," Matthew grimaced while looking at the money in his hands. "How much is that in Yen?"

"Yen?" the boy asked. "What's that?"

Matthew held up the coins in his hand, allowing the boy to examine them. The boy poked at the coins and frowned.

"This is money?" he asked disappointedly.

"Where we come from that's what it's called," Matthew sighed.

"Aw man," the boy complained. "I can't use this."

"Well tough," Yui frowned. "It's all we have. Take it or leave it."

"I'll leave it," the boy sighed. "You guys are practically poor and poor folks bug me. Later."

The boy then raced off with a small wave. Matthew watched him go in slight surprise. Miaka suddenly stood up while watching him go.

"Wait!" she cried. "Where are we?"

"Miaka!" Yui cried as the ground started shaking. "It's another earthquake!"

Matthew fell forward in the rumbling as the two girls collided with him. The entire world seemed to become enveloped in red light.When they finally came crashing down on the ground, they actually hit the tiled floors of thee library. Books were around them. All three had wide eyes that echoed in surprise.

"W...we're back?" asked Miaka in shock.

"Looks like it," Matthew muttered. "Unless we're still dreaming."

"Were we knocked out?" Yui asked out loud.

There were no real answers that none of the three could produce. It didn't feel like a dream, but there was no real explanation of what elseit could have been. Was there?

To Be Continued

A/N: And there's chapter one. I hope all the Fushigi Yugi fans like this. I'm trying hard. I just want all the readers to know that I do not appreciate flames and I will not respond to them. If anyone has advice or something for the story then just tell me. No need to get angry at me.


	2. Chapter 2

I do not own Fushigi Yugi or any of the connected characters. Those all belong to Yu Watase. I enjoy her work and find the characters very entertaining. I am only writing this because I enjoy writing stories. I am not making any money whatsoever.  
-Ten-Faced Paladin 

Fushigi Yugi: Dansei Tsure

By Ten-Faced Paladin

Chapter 2: Brain Busters and Heart Breakers

Matthew was walking down the streets. A lot was on his mind. Naturally though. It wasn't everyday that a someone found themselves sucked into a book and rescued from slavers. That was what usually happened in an anime of some sort. Didn't it?

"I think a headache's coming," he grumbled to himself.

He had split off from Yui and Miaka when they realised that they were late for cram school. That and the librarian had chased them out for being where they were. Since he didn't go to cram school, not seeing the point, he decided to head home and begin looking up things on the four gods.

"I know they're called the Saint Beasts," he commented to himself. "But I really don't know much else."

He felt that he had a long night ahead of him.

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Miaka was also facing her own questions and problems, only theses ones were a bit more personal.

Miaka had arrived late for cram school and the teacher really gave her what for. The man was strict and he never seemed to ease up on anyone. Especially her. The pressure didn't even stop when she got home. Her mom had gotten her updated marks and while she was pleased that Miaka was doing better, she was still laying on pressure to do better and get into Jonan.

Currently, Miaka was at her desk, writing into her diary while studying.

"That boy," she mumbled to herself. "He had the character for demon on his forehead."

Her face flushed as he remembered how the boy had rescued her.

"He was pretty tall and kinda good looking," she smiled as she wrote into her diary. "He was such a money grubber though."

Miaka replayed the rescue in her mind, but carefully edited it so that the bot did not ask for monay. Instead, he went and acted more like a prince charming. Not quite the right dosage of reality was put into her little fantasy.

"Uh...Miaka?" a voice cut in.

Miaka was brought out of her romantic fantasy and saw her mom looking at her strangely.

"I brought you a snack," she spoke, seeming confused.

'Urk!" Miaka groaned, ebarrassed about falling into a daydream.

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Matthew sat in his apartment, looking at some books he had collected during his exchange. The landlady was someone who was a contact with his school back in the west so she let him have his pick of the apartments when he came. She just billed the school for the room.

He bit into a rice ball he had whipped up while he turned the page. If anything else, he was a good cook anyway.

"The Saint Beasts," he read. "Four gods who reside in the four corners of the world. North, south, east, and west. Each god has a certain part of the Chinese cirle of elements to control and a part of the year which they influence."

He chomped down on the rice ball and reached for another after swallowing it.

"Suzaku," he continued. "The red pheonix god of the south. He has power over fire and his season of influence is in the summer. Sounds like a hothead to me."

He turned the pages and looked at the next entry.

"Seiryu, blue dragon of the east," he read. "Has power over wood and his season of influence is in the spring. Okay. Interesting. Who's next?"

The next page was revealed as a bit of rice fell onto the paper.

"Genbu," he sighed as he flicked the rice off. "Black turtle of the north. Has power over water and his season is winter."

The last page of the book came as he ran out of food.

"Byakko," he listed. "White tiger of the west. His power is metal and his season is fall. I guess I come from Byakko's territory and I'm invading Seiryu's."

Matthew closed the book and yawned. This was something to go on at least. He could only hope that the four gods in the book were the same as the Saint Beasts where he was. Another question was nagging him. The Chinese circle of elements had five points. Earth, fire, water, wood, and metal. There were only four Saint Beasts so what happened to that fifth element?

Shrugging off the question, Matthew placed the book back on the shelf and headed for bed. Those were questions for another day. He decided that tomorrow he would meet up with Yui and Miaka and decide what to do about that book. There was no way that they could all have the same dream at the exact same time.

There was just no way.

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The final bell rang and school was over for the day. Yui was quickly putting her jacket on while she made her way over to Miaka for a conversation.

"Hey Miaka!" Yui exclaimed excitedly. "Wanna head to the library again? It's just that I can't get that book or the dream out of my head."

"I can't," Miaka sighed dissappointedly. "My cram school has an exam today."

"Really?" Yui sighed. "Okay, I'll see if Matt wants to go with me."

"Why would you want to go with him?" Miaka frowned. "I mean, he's so rude and unfriendly."

"That's not true," Yui defended. "He's just shy and quiet. I heard that he didn't have many friends before he came because everyone was afraid of his size."

"You're just saying that because he tried to protect us from those slavers in our dream," Miaka argued.

"Maybe," Yui shrugged. "He had the same dream with us so how are we sure he wouldn't?"

Miaka's eye started twitching as she sat up and began to but her jacket on. Yui could tell that she didn't want to continue the conversation. Giving up on trying to convince her friend, Yui went off to find the exchange student.

Miaka just sighed and made her way to her cram school. As she walked she could seee so many couples on the streets. All she could do was envy them.

'If Yui even manages to get Matthew to go with her, would that count as a date?' Miaka thought to herself. 'Ooooh! Everyone I know seems to have better luck with love than me!'

She looked over to a couple walking down the sidewalk from across the road. She felt her envy rise at seeing them. When they suddenly turned, she hasped to see none other than her own mother on the mans arm.

'MOM!' Miaka shrieked internally. 'Isn't she supposed to be at work!'

Miaka was shellshocked by seeing that. Her own mother who pressed her and her brother about getting the best eduacation was seemigly skipping work to be with some man. It just didn't make sense. Her mom never even left a hint that she was seeing someone.

Cram school went by in a daze. She barely listened and almosst missed the dismissal. The walk home was in an equaal daze. When she finally did go home, she opened the door to see her mother staring at her angrily.

"Huh?" Miaka commented.

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Matthew was heading towards Miaka's house while carrying a backpack full of supplies. He had decided that he was going to go back into the book that had drawn hm and the two young women inside it's pages. He had decided to ask Miaka first because she lived closer. When he thought about it, he had never been to her house before. He only knew where she lived because Yui had given him both her and Miaka's phone numbers in case he needed someone to talk to when he first arrived. He had just used the phone book to find their adresses.

He came to the front door sof the apartment complex when a gray and black blur ran into him, knocking both of them to the ground. Matthew shook his head to get the stars out of his head and saw that Miaka was leaning against him, crying.

"Miaka?" Matthew asked, slightly shocked.

Miaka looked up at Matthew for a moment. She then let out another sob and she quickly began running. Matthew hefted himself up and began pursuing her.

"Miaka! Wait!" he called after her.

The girl either didn't hear him or just ignored him. She just kept running. Matthew could easily keep up becuase of his height and obvious track abilities because of it. He was stilll trailing behind Miaka because of the weight from his backpack.

After what seemed like forever, Miaka seemed to have had enough running and stopped to take a breather. Matthew finally caught up with her. He noticed that they were in front of the library. He walked over to her and gently placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Miaka?" he asked again.

She turned around and faced mtthew. Her eyes were puffy from crying, but she still seemed pretty sad.

"I'm okay," she whispered quietly. "I just don't want to be home right now."

Matthew nodded. He had no idea what had happened, but far be it from him to pry into other's affairs. He just smiled gently to her.

"Okay," he nodded. "I was going to ask you if you wanted to head back into that book again."

"Huh?" Miaka asked. "Wasn't that all just a dream?"

"If it was, it was a very realistic one," Matthew replied.

Miaka thought about the offer. She really didn't have many places to go and having he rmother worry for a while would do her some good. She also pondered that because it might mean that she might be able to see the boy with the mark on his head again.

"Might as well see," Miaka shrugged.

Matthew broke into another smile, "Works for me."

The boy had forgotten all about Yui for the moment. Miaka needed some comforting right now and that took priority.

The two of them entered the library and headed straight for the restricted part. After making sure that they wouldn't get caught, they snuck in quietly and shut the door. Matthew looked over to the floor and saw that the book was right where they left it. They both took up the book and leaned agaisnt the wall. Miaka looked over the intro to the story with a wistful look in her eye.

"So if you read this to the end you get a wish?" she asked sarcastically.

"It wouldn't be outside Suzaku's power," Matthew commented. "I read up on him. He's the real deal."

Miaka shook her head and looked back to the book. Her eyes suddenly widened when she saw the next passage. Matthew saw her amazed look and followed her gaze. His jaw dropped open with what he saw.

_Despite the fear that the young man and young woman felt, they both leaped at their attackers to save their friend. Alas, the slavers had proven to be too strong to overcome by themselves. At that very moment, a gallant young man who bore the character for demon on his forehead appeared and save the three friends._

"How?" Miaka sputtered. "How can what we dreamed be in this story?"

"I knew it," Matthew whispered. "There was no way that we could all have the same dream."

Miaka quickly flipped to the next page, but instead of seeing more words, both her and Matthew were engulfed in light.

"What the-?" Matthew gasped.

"M-mom!" Miaka cried.

They were both swallowed by the light and when it dimmed, they were gone. The book fell silently to the floor.

The rest of the library didn't even seem to notice. The librarian had soundly given notice that the library was closing and that it was time for everyone to leave. No one had noticed that the book which swallowed the two teenagers was lying open on the floor. No one even noticed that the boy who came in with the large backpack and the girl with the uniform who accompanied him did not come out. In fact, it was almost as if they had never been there at all.

Inside the restricted section, everything was quiet. The book was lying open on the floor again. It was resting with the pages open on the ones which brought Miaka and Matthew into the world which rested within it's pages. one those pages, new words had been written. It was a short sentance, but one that reflected the great impact which hhad been made on them.

_And thus, the young lady of legends and the young man of myths opened the door to another world, and likewise began our tale._

To Be Continued.

A/N: And chapter two is finished. I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as you did the first one. I can only hope it keeps you as interested in my stories as the first one did. For those who are ocncerned, Miaka is still going to be the priesstess of Suzaku. I can hear fans sighing in relief. I haven't given much thoughts to pairings, if any, but I think Tamahome is going to steal Miaka's heart. Matthew might find someone else. I'm not sure. Got any questions or comments? Just put 'em in the review. Remember though, I will not respond to flames.


	3. Chapter 3

I do not own Fushigi Yugi or any of the connected characters. Those belong to Yu Watase and not me. I am not getting paid for the works I am writing. I am only writing them because I enjoy doing this sort of thing. If anyone was intending to sue me then forget it.  
-Ten-Faced Paladin 

Fushigi Yugi: Dansei Tsure By Ten-Faced Paladin Chapter 3: The Boy with the Demon Star

Miaka groaned as she slowly woke up. Her mind was doing a large checklist which told her that she was sleeping on something soft. She slowly opened her eyes which revealed a dark blurry shape above her. She blinked a little and wiped her eyes. Her eyes focoused in to see the face of Matthew above her.

"Morning princess," he smiled.

"Augh!" Miaka shrieked in shock.

Matthew then immediately found himself on the recieving end of a rather hard slap. He sat back and held his throbbing cheek. While he was muttering something about being high-strung, Miaka began taking in her surroundings. She found that she and Matthew were sitting on top of a cart filled with items. The wares were covered with a canvas.

"Wh...what happened?" she asked. "Where are we?"

"Don't you remember?" Matthew asked, while nursing his cheek. "We were sucked into that book in the library."

"Oh!" Miaka gasped. "Now I remember!"

"There ya go," Matthew smiled. "So, what exactly do we do now that we're here?"

Miaka held her finger to her chin as she thought about it. She didn't want to go home after the argument with her mother. She then resolved that she was going to take her chances in the book.

"You know," Miaka smiled. "We should see if we can find that boy with the demon mark on his head. At least we know he's friendly."

Matthew almost grimaced at the mention of that guy. In his opinion, the guy was a money grubbing jerk. Even if he did save them, he tried to charge them for it. What made him even more upset was the fact that Miaka was probably right.

"It's a start I guess," Matthew sighed.

Miaka smiled brightly and the both of them slipped off the cart and began walking alongside it. They both looked ahead and saw a massive castle behind a stone wall. It was all made in Chinese style structures.

"Wow!" Miaka gasped. "I'm impressed! It's like a movie set!"

"I'm inclined to agree," Matthew nodded. "We don't have much like this back home."

The two of them looked back to the crowds, trying not to get squashed underneath. Miaka's eyes landed on someone in particular and she gasped. Matthew followed her gaze and both of them managed to get a glimpse of the boy who had the demon mark on his head.

"It's him!" Miaka gasped with a smile.

"That was fast," Matthew remarked.

Miaka began pushing herself past people, trying to catch up with him. For once,being smaller was helping her. Matthew had to squeeze through the crowds while Miaka was having a much easier time about it. When both of them finally got some breathing space, they discovered that they had lost him.

"How can you move so fast?" Matthew gasped as he came out of the crowds. "It's like walking upriver for me."

"I dunno," Miaka shrugged. "What do you think is going on? It looks like some kind of festival."

"Seems like it to me," Matthew agreed. "So just what do you think they're celebrating?"

Matthew looked up from his huffing to see that Miaka was gone. He looked around to see just where she had disappeared to. It was like she had just vanished.

"Where'd she go now?" Matthew complained.

The scent of food caught his nose and it became clear. Yui had told him that Miaka had a thing for food. The dream she had the day before and how she freaked about the lack of places to eat when all three of them got sucked into the book was undeniable proof.

"Food," Matthew grumbled. "She smelled food. Just perfect."

Grumbling to himself again, Matthew set off again. Now he not only had to find the boy with the mark on his head, but now he had to find Miaka too. He kept asking himself just why he kept getting into messes like this.

While Matthew began his search, Miaka had found the quarry that she had pursued. She stood at the booth where sweet buns were being made. She started drooling which caused everyone who could see her start staring.

"Do you want anything?" the man in charge of the booth asked.

"Huh?" Miaka gaspeed. "Oh, yes. The sweet buns please."

The man scooped up several of the buns and handed them to Miaka. She promptly paid him with a few coins.

"Oh, mister, have you seen a boy with a demon mark on his forhead?" she asked.

"Sorry," the man replied. "Haven't seen a guy like that."

Miaka pouted and nodded. She then began walking away while beginning to munch on a sweet bun.

"Hey! What kind of money is this!" the man shouted behind her.

Miaka shrieked and beagn running. She kept running until she stopped where she figured where she had left Matthew. Her only problem was that he wasn't there anymore. She just huffed to herself.

"Great," she sighed. "He's rude, unfiendly sometimes, and impatient. I'd like to see him get a girlfriend with an attitude like that."

Someone tapped on her shoulder and she turned around to see a young man smiling in a friendly manner.

"Hi," he greeted. "I heard you were looking for someone. A boy with a mark for demon on his head. Right?"

"That's right," Miaka smiled.

"Then I think I might know who you're looking for," the man smiled. "Would you like to walk with me?"

"Okay!" Miaka smiled brightly. 'Take that Matt! My fifteen years of boyfriendlessness are about to come to an end!'

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Matthew was sitting in a noodle shop slurping up the contents of his bowl. He had managed to sell some of the stuff he had brought with him in his backpack. Namely some sketches he made of sites back in Japan and his sketch pencils. The artist he sold them to wanted to know how he made the pictures. He paid pretty well for them too. Buying the noodles barely made a dent in the cash he got.

"Hey, have you heard?" he heard one customer ask. "There's a girl in wierd clothes running around nearby."

"Oh yeah?" his friend asked. "I heard she was looking for a boy with a demon on his forehead."

Matthew's head snapped up and looked at the two who were conversing. He was about to stand up and begin asking them more questions, when suddenly a blur shot past him and beat him there.

"Is that true?" the blur asked when it came to a stop, revealing the very boy Matthew and Miaka were looking for.

"Woah!" the two men gasped.

Matthew was inclined to agree. He had never seen anyone move that fast before. Not even some of the speed stars on thee track team could move that fast. Just how skilled was this guy?

"Is she a girl in a short skirt with her hair done in buns, or did she have short hair?" the guy asked. "Was she with a tall guy with brown hair?"

"How would I know?" one fo the customers asked. "Just who are you?"

"Oh! Sorry," the guy smiled as he reached into his shirt. "My card."

"Jack-of-all-trades?" the man asked as he read it.

"Yup," the guy smiled. "As long as you pay, I'll do just about anything."

Matthew shook his head. So far, his opinion of the guy was unchanged. He was still a money-grubbing jerk. At least he seemed to remember him, Miaka, and Yui. Explaining things to him would be easier.

"Call me anytime," the guy smiled. "Well, I must be going."

He turned to leave and began heading for the door. Matthew realised that he was going to miss this chance. He may actually be able to help find Miaka.

"Hey!" Matthew called as he chased after the guy. "Wait a minute, Mr. Jack-of-all-trades!"

The guy stopped and turned around as Matthew caught up with him. His eyes looked at him with recognition.

"Hey, I remember you," he remarked. "You're that guy that was with those two girls."

"Yeah, Miaka and Yui," Matthew nodded. "I came back with the girl with the buns. She's been looking for you all over the place. I got seperated from her and I could use some help finding her."

"Oh yeah?" the guy smiled. "That little commission would cost about ten Mon. You still poor?"

"I'll gve you five now and five after we find her," Matthew sighed. "If she's in trouble and you help out then I'll give you another ten."

"Okay!" the guy grinned widely as he gave a thumbs up. "I'm on the job!"

"Fine," Matthew smiled. "My name's Matt. Just who are you anyway?"

"Me?" he asked. "I'm Xong Gui-Siu. Just call me Tamahome. Everyone else does."

"Okay Tamahome," Matthew smiled. "Let's find Miaka already."

Matthew was about to leave when Tamahome grabbed him by the shoulder. Matthew looked back to see Tamahome holding out his hand. Matthew sweatdropped. When it came to money this guy was a sharp one.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

While Matthew and Tamahome began their search, Miaka was following the man who said that he could lead her to her quarry. They had been walking for a while and Miaka was starting to get impatient.

"So where is this friend of yours?" Miaka asked.

"Right here," a new voice spoke.

Miaka quickly found herself in the midst of a group of men. They were all looking at her with a bad look in their eyes.

"Wow," one man snickered. "You found a strange one this time."

"Well," another reason. "She's an exoctic one. We'll probably make a fortune off her clothes alone!"

"I heard exotic girls taste different," a third sneered.

"What?" Miaka gasped before turning to the man who led her there. "Hey! You lied to me!"

"Not my fault that you're so gullible," the fourth man laughed with a shrug.

As the four men slowly started moving around her, Miaka began to realise that the book world wasn't as different as home was. There were punks here as well. Then she had a sudden idea. This world was just a book anyway. It wasn't like she would get into trouble for fighting or anything.

"Okay punks!" Miaka growled while discarding her jacket and rolling up her sleeves. "You see these BCG vaccination tracks? Now I'm going to make you pay!"

The four punks just stared at her. That was one heck of a surprise since they hadn't seen a woman act like that before.

"Check out this move I saw on a movie three days ago!" Miaka shouted as she ran at them.

She delived a powerful clothesline into one thug's neck. It sent him sprawling to the ground wheezing. The other three began to back away as she turned her attention to them. A German suplex was next on the list as Miaka got a hold of a second thug. The other two met some serious damage to their manhood as Miaka finished up with them. Soon all four of them were on the ground groaning in pain.

"Wow," Miaka smiled as she wiped the sweat off her face. "Do I got it or what?"

She turned to walk away when ahand gripped her ankle and she fell to the ground. She quickly turned over to find herself pinned to the ground by the guy who led her there.

"Hey!" Miaka cried. "Let me go!"

"Shut up!" the man growled. "Now you're going to get it!"

Miaka's elation at winning her first fight was soon replaced by fear. She stuggled as much as she could but the man was just too strong. She wanted to scream but her voice was caught in her throat.

'Someone help me!' she cried internally. 'Mom! Keisuke!'

The thug began unbottoning her shirt when he suddenly collapsed. Miaka noticed a rock rolling to the side. Someone had thrown him at the thug and knocked him out. After rolling the thug off of her, she looked up and saw two faces she had never been so relieved to see. The boy with the demon mark and Matthew.

"Wow," the boy remarked. "It is you. What happened to your other friend?"

"She didn't come with us," Matthew sighed. "I told you that Tamahome,"

"Tama...home?" Miaka asked in a whisper as she stood up.

"That's me," Tamahome smiled. "Are you okay?"

"I was scared!" Miaka sobbed as she captured Tamahome in a rib-crunching hug. "So scared!"

Tamahome gently rested his hand on the back of her head and stroked her hair. Matthew leaned against a wall and waited for her to finish. Some friend he was. He couldn't even help Miaka when she really needed it.

"So I'm told you've been looking for me?" aksed Tamahome.

"Um...yes," Miaka nodded, a small flush coming onto her face.

"Well?" Tamahome asked. "What for?"

Miaka suddenly went silent. She hadn't considered that much yet. She was just so caught up with finding her savior that she had forgotten just why she was looking for him in the first place.

Matthew slapped his palm into his face. Of all the times for Miaka to look like a moron. The girl had it bad for that guy. As if the girl couldn't look any more pathetic right now.

"Nothing?" Tamahome asked. "Okay. Then I'll collect from your friend now."

Tamahome began walking away from Miaka, who just seemed somewhat dazed. Matthew began sifting through his pockets to try and get the money he owed Tamahome.

'I do her a big favor and what do I get?' Matthew thought to himself sourly.

"Wait!" Miaka cried as she leaped at Tamahome.

Her aim was a little off as she grabbed Tamahome's legs. This caused him to fall over hard, smashing his head against the ground.

"You trying to kill the guy?" Matthew asked, his laughter struggling to be kept in.

"Now listen you!" Tamahome growled as he stood up, his nose bleeding slightly.

"I wanted to thank you!" Miaka said quickly. "That's it! I wanted to thank you!"

"That's it?" Tamahome sighed while he wiped his nose. "Look, you don't have to worry about paying me. Your friend is taking care of that."

"But I still owe you for the last time!" Miakasaid almost desperately.

"Are you trying to make me poor again!" Matthew growled. "I'm the one who's paying this guy!"

"Then I'll pay him back!" Miaka frowned.

"Don't sweat it okay?" Tamahome sighed. "Look, I've got work so stop following me. Just go home! The both of you!"

Miaka's expression turned downcast as bitter memories came back. Matthew frowned. Maybe now he would hear just why Miaka was so desperate to leave her house in the first place.

"I couldn't even if I wanted to," Miaka said quietly. "Not after that fight I had with my mom. I don't want to be alone."

"What am I?" Matthew sighed under his breath. "Chopped liver? Why do guys like Tamahome get girls like Yui and Miaka?"

"Well you can't keep hanging off me like this," Tamahome said sternly with a frown.

"But...what if we can help in your work?" Miaka asked. "Can we stay with you then?"

Matthew frowned. He was being drawn into Miaka's schemes and there was probably little he could do in the end. He discovered early that he couldn't win when it came to arguing with women. Especially cute ones. Tamahome seemed to be the new target for Miaka's puppy eyes attack.

Tamahome scratched his cheek as he let his gaze wander. He noticed that the emperor's procession coming. As he saw it coming, an idea came to his mind. It would probably be enough to get the girl off of him. The guy would probably keep her away.

"Tell you what," Tamahome smiled. "See that procession over there? That's for the emperor. He's in that carriage in the middle there. If you could snatch a few gems from his crown then I'll be rolling in money."

"You shouldn't tell her that," Matthew smiled. "She'll really try. Probably die trying but she'll try."

"I'm sure," Tamahome smiled. "Everyone knows it's impossible so I'll just mosey along."

Matthew looked to see Miaka and his jaw dropped when he saw her running towards the procession.

"Miaka! Are you crazy!" Matthew shouted.

Tamahome quickly turned around and he facefaulted. Miaka really was racing over to the procession to get the jewels.

"You thought I was serious!" Tamahome shouted in disbelief.

"If I get them you'll let us come with you right?" Miaka smiled as she kept going.

"Miak get back here!" Mtthew shouted as he gave chase. Tamahome got up and followed him. "Te emperor will probably kill you for trying!"

He turned to Tamahime, "He will won't he?"

"I dunno," Tamhome shrugged. "Let's not find out."

Miaka kept running towards the procession. She was a girl on a mission. She raced alongside the cart. She could see someone inside. He was wearing some extravagent robes and was looking pretty royal in her mind.

"Hey!" she shouted. "Are you the emperor?"

The young man looked at her slightly. Miaka couldn't see his face clearly but she didn't care. She really needed some jewels from his crown.

"Who is this?" he asked in some mild curiosity.

"I need a favour," Miaka spoke with her cutest smile, trying to win him over. "Would it bee too much trouble for you to spare at least one jewel from your crown? I owe it to someone who saved my life."

"Gah!" Matthew and Tamahome cried in disbelief. She was going to get herself killed!

"Hey!" a guard shouted. "No one is rude to the emperor! Kill her!"

When the guard shouted those two words, Tamahome leaped into action. He leaped over the nearest guards and raced towards the emperor. Seeing a distraction, Matthew darted past the guards and followed him. Just as a different guard was planning to strike Miaka down, Tamahome grabbed her and pulled her out of harms way. Matthew grabbed a spear from a distraceted guard and caught up to his two friends, brandishing it and keeping the guards away.

"Are you some kind of moron!" Tamahome shouted. "What's wrong with you? Are you trying to get yourself killed!"

Miaka looked up into Tamahome's eyes with a look of relief mixed with distress, "You saved me again. Thanks, but now I owe you for two rescues now!"

Tamahome looked shocked for a moment. This girl was really somethong else. To just go up tp the emperor and ask for some jewels took some serious guts. Not that he didn't have them of course.

"Tell you what," Tamahome smiled. "Just for that little stunt, I'll take you and your buddy under my wing."

"Really?" Miaka gasped happily. "But you've saved me twice for free now! I have to give you something."

"Yeah, you do." Tamahome smiled, a gleam coming into his eyes. "So I'm going to claim a reward now."

Then, with that, he pressed his lips softly to Miaka's forehead in a kiss. It completely threw her off. She wasn't quite expecting a bit of romance in the thick of things. She was also feeling the deepest blush she ever felt rising to her face.

Matthew saw that little stolen kiss and he grumbled, "We're about to get arrested or killed now and they're stealing kisses?" He just gripped his stolen weapon tighter as he watched the guards spot them. This was not looking good.

As Miaka's disbelief and blush grew bigger, her body began to glow red. Literally. The red light grew brighter like the rising sun. Tamahome drew back as the guards became rooted to the spot. It wasn't happening to just Miaka either. Matthew was also beginning to get enveloped in light. Only his was white. Everyone was watching in awe at the spectacle. Both of the students could feel themselves vanishing as their respective lights grew brighter.

'We're vanishing!' Miaka gasped internally. 'It's just like when we came into the book.'

She looked around and saw the scenery vanishing to reveal the library again. Even Tamahome was vanishing.

'No, wait!' Miaka cried internally. 'Not yet! I want to at least say goodbye!'

Matthew was also having his own kind of conflict.

'Heading back already?' he thought. 'I don't think so. Tamahome's still in trouble and it's our fault. I may not like him, but he's okay. Do you hear me book?'

"I said stop!" they both shouted at the same time.

With that, the lights instantly vanished and the dust seemed to settle. Miaka looked up to see that she had grabbed Tamahome. Matthew looked around and saw everyone staring with wide eyes and slack jaws.

"I guess we're back," Miaka laughed nervously.

"You think?" Matthew remarked sarcastically.

Tamahome looked down on Miaka with confusion all over his face, "What are you two?"

The emperor watched in silent amazement. This event may just be the sign that his kingdom had been looking for. He immediately got one of his guarrd's attention.

"Detain the girl and the two young men," he spoke quickly.

"huh? Uh, yes sire!" the guard nodded.

It wasn't long before Matthew, Tamahome, and Miaka found themselves trapped in a cirlce of spears. Matthew sighed as he dropped his weapon and kicked in over to the guards. The one he stole it from quickly picked it up.

"Tamahome," Miaka squeaked in fear as she saw the light gleaming off the weapons.

Tamahome frowned darkly while Matthew sighed heavily, "We are so screwed."

To Be Continued

A/N: Well, there it is folks. I finally got it out and it's posted! Sorry about the lack of updates, with starting at University, homework, and other stories, it's a little harder to keep up than I thought. Don't think I've forgotten though. I'm still working hard and still trying to update quickly so don't abandon me yet!


	4. Chapter 4

I don't own Fushigi Yugi. That belongs to Yuu Watase. The only thing I own is the OC that is placed in this story. If anyone has a problem with that then they can take it up with my lawyer. Everyone else can enjoy the story.  
Ten-Faced Paladin 

Fushigi Yugi: Dansei Tsure

By Ten-Faced Paladin

Chapter 4: The Preistess of Suzaku

_Under the emperors palace, Tamahome, the young lady, and the young man were imprisoned in the basement dungeon of the palace._

Matthew sat against the cold clammy walls of stone and silently came to the conclusion that today was probably one of the worst days of his life. True, not everyone could say they could see a variant of ancient China inside a book, but seeing how criminals were treated was not one of those things he really needed to know.

He looked to the opposite wall and saw Tamahome still brooding about the situation. He hadn't said anything since they were brought in. Matthew figured that he was freaked out about the light that they had generated which was why they were probably in the dungeon and not on the executioner's block right now.

Miaka seemed to be taking it best at the moment. Shortly after they were brought in, she fell asleep while leaning on Tamahome's shoulder. Matthew figured that Tamahome was going to charge her for a pillow fee when she woke up. A while after she fell asleep, Miaka began mumbling and tossing while she slept. It seemed she was having a bad dream of sorts. All of a sudden, she glomped onto Tamahome in what seemed to be a comforting hug.

"So don't look so sad," she mumbled in her half-awake stupor.

"But we are so sad!" both males spoke at the same time.

Miaka shrieked and leaped backwards when reality finally caight up to her. She almost crashed into Matthew. The taller boy sighed as he watched her catch her breath.

"There you are," Tamahome sighed. "Snoozing like a baby while we're locked in the palace dungeon!"

"The girl can fall asleep anywhere," Matthew remarked sarcastically. "She's done it enough times in class."

"Tamahome!" Miaka shriekd while ignoring Matthew's comment. "You scared me!"

"You're scared?" Tamahome sighed. "I'm terrified!"

Tamahome huffed as he leaned against the wall again. He eyed the two in front of him, trying to figure them out. Miaka looked normal enough except for her clothes. Matthew on the other hand was obviously from outside the country. Tamahome just couldn't tell from where. The light that he saw both of them generate was also nagging on his mind. Granted, he'd seen some weird things before but that was the newest one for him. Deciding to just go for the hell of it, he finally asked.

"Where are you two from anyway?" he asked. "What was that light anyway?"

Miaka scratched the back of her neck nervously while Matthew just sighed and looked Tamahome straight in the eye.

"Well, to be brief," he began. "Miaka comes from a land to the far east. It's across the ocean. My home is way faroff to the north-west. I was visiting Miaka's country when the two of us and Yui found a way here. That's where you found us. That light you saw was probably how we got here."

Tamahome nodded, "Okay, I'll buy that." he then looked to Miaka. "What's up with your mom? You whispered her name while you were tossing in your sleep."

"Um...ah," Miaka sputtered while a gloom of depression seemed to fall over her features.

"I have no idea what your problem is about," Tamahome continued. "but you shouldn't be too stubborn." A kind expression took over his face as he looked into Miaka's eyes. "See, all kids care about their parents, and all parents care about their kids."

Miaka blinked as understanding went on like a light bulb, "Y-your'e right. I gotta go home and apologize. That's such a nice thing to say. I'm impressed."

"Good," Tamahome smirked as he held out his hand. "'Cause that'll be a five Mon counselling fee."

A stress vein popped onto Miaka's head as she slapped his hand away. Matthew snorted some laughter. He was quickly changing his opinion of Tamahome, but he didn't see him breaking his business character anytime soon.

_Inside the Palace_

The emperor sat in contemplation upon his throne. He had many things on his mind and he believed that two of the three prisoners may hold the answers for many of the country's problems. His thoughts were interrupted as two of his advisors walked to the throne.

"Why haven't you had them executed yet?!" the first one shouted.

"Especially the young man and woman! They gave off that strange light and attempted to vanish!" the second spoke. "They might be evil spirits come to do you harm your majesty! With your permission..."

"One moment," the emperor interrupted. "We have cause to believe that one of those two may be the youth spoken of in our legends."

Both of the advisors gasped in disbelief. They couldn't believe that their own emperor could suggest that eithe rof the street urchins could even be the one that everyone of their kingdom hoped to appear and save them all.

"Impossible!" they both shouted.

_Dungeons_

Matthew scratched the side of his head in confusion. He thought he heard someeoe shouting. After a moment he decided to shrug it off and get back to the problem at hand. Getting the hell out of the dungeons and hopefully back to where the sun shone. He and Miaka could probably leave anytiome they wanted to with the book, but that would leave Tamahome stuck here and he wasn't about to do that to the poor guy.

"You have anything that can help?" Matthew asked Miaka.

"I might," she replied as she began digging in her pockets. All that she pulled out was a few sticks of gum. She was at first disappointed but she then got an idea. Who said these people had seen anyone chew gum before?

"All right!" Miaka smiled. "Snacks!"

She then unwrapped the gum and threw it in her mouth. The guard looked at her sternly as she did so, "Hey, what did you just put in your mouth? Out with it!"

"This?" Miaka aske innocently as she chewed. "If you say so."

She then proceeded to blow a large bubble. Tamahome and the guard immediately began to freak out, "What the hell is that?!" both of them shouted in surprise. Miaka stepped closer to the guard as Matthew began to laugh at his fear over something harmless.

"Get it away from me!" the gaurd cried as Miaka stepped even closer. Tamahome seemed he was going to go into shock or something.

The bubble finally couldn't take anymore and popped loudly. The shock was too much for the hapless guard and he passed out cold on the floor. Matthew was rolling on the floor because he was laughing so hard and Tamahome was finally catching his breath. Miaka cad pink gum all over her face.

"He passed out! Way to go!" Tamahome cheered as he clasped Miaka's hand victoriously.  
"Fnnk ouu," Miaka mumbled through the mess on her face.

"Sure, just cleam your face would you?" Matthew smiled as he stood up.

Later, the threee companions were making their way out of the main dungeons. Tamahome was freaking out with the extra strips of gum that Miaka had given him. Matthew even tossed him some that he had brought along.

"Are you serious?!" Tamahome gasped. "You're givng this to me? It's too good to be true!"

"It's true," Miaka replied. "It's just gum though. Why don't you try it?"

"Are you nuts?!" Tamahome shouted as he cluitched the candy. "I can't eat something this precious! I could sell this for one Ryo! Do you hear me? ONE RYO!!"

"Sure," Matthew sighed. "Whatever."

Miaka had lost interest in the conversation and was actually paying more attention to a shrine that was dedicted to a great red bird.

"Tamahome," Miaka called. "What's this bird?"

"That's Suzaku. Everyone knows that," Tamahome sighed. "You definitely aren't from around here."

"Suzaku, Genbu, Byakko, and Seiryu," Matthew spoke. "The four gods, right?"

"Right," Tamahome nodded. "Each of the four empires worship a different god."

While Tamahome and Matthew were comparing notes on the four gods, Miaka had her intersts elsewhere. SHe had caught wiff of a delicious smell and she wanted to find just what that smell belonged to. Following her nose and releasing a bit of drool, she began her quest.

Tamahome and Matthew had just noticed that the female of the group was missing. Tamahome sweatdropped while Matthew put a hand to his face in agitation. He then caught a wiff of what had stolen Miaka from them.

"Food," Matthew sighed. "She caught a wiff of food. That's the only thing that can make her move this fast."

"So what do we do now?" Tamahome groaned.

"What else?" Matthew asked. "We have to find her. "Her brother will kill me if he finds out I let something happen to her. COme to think of it, he might kill me if he finds out I was with her for this long at all."

"She your girlfriend?" Tamahome smirked as they made for the door.

"No!" Matthew snapped. "But her brother will assume that she is and give me the whole overprotective brother bit before I can even tell him otherwise."

Tamahome just continued to smirk. He had a feeling that he could tease Mattheww about this in the future. To aleviate boredom anyway.

While the boys were trying to find her, Miaka had managed to wander into the kitchen. It was amzing how accute a person's senses are when they concentrate. She foundherself looking at a gorgeous meal that made her drool even more as she gazed on it. Needless to say, she pounced on it like a hungry predator. The cooking staff didn't even notice until she was gone. They never knew what hit them to say the least.

"Now that I'm fed," Miaka smiled. "It's time for me and Matt to head home."

She then gasped when she realised that she was in somplace unfamiliar. Everything looked the same and she couldn't even figure out where the door was. She just had to help Tamahome escape and she also had to bring Matt back with her. No telling what his guardians would do to her if he didn't come back with her.

"The door is that way," a new voice laughed.

Miaka turned around and saw one of the most beautiful people even sitting on a railing, wrapped in a cloak talking to her. Their voice was just so gentle she instantly assumed the person to be a woman.

"Oh, hello," Miaka greeted.

"Say, aren't you the girl that they brought in yesterday?" the person asked.

Miaka instantly stiffened, "Nopenopenope. I'm just the usual passerby. Well, I must be going. Nice meeting you!"

"Don't worry," the person laughed. "The guards won't hear about you from me. Since neither of us are doing anything, why don't I give you the grand tour of the palace?"

Miaka was just stunned by the kindness that ths person exuded towards her.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Tamohome and Matthew were sneaking aroundd the corners of the palace buildings, trying to find Miaka. Suffice to say that they weren't having much luck.

"Where did she go?" Tamahome growled to herself.

"Hell if I know," Matthew grumbled. "We already checked the kitchen so she could be anywhere by now."

The two of them crept around the corner of yet another building to see if they could find their wayward friend. Instead, they appeared in front of a servants face as he stood by the stairs of the palace.

"Shit," Matthew growled.

"Get the guards!" the man shouted. "I found two of the prisoners!"

"Run for it!" Tamahome ordered sharply. "We can be a distraction while Miaka escapes."

"That's rather generous of you Tamahome," Matthew smirked as they ran. "You're just fulll of surprises."

"Don't get used to it kid," Tamahome snorted, a grin on his face.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"So you need to find your companions?" Miaka's guide asked her.

"Yes," Miak nodded. "We wouldn't even be here if it weren't for me. We can't even go back to our own world until he's safe."

Miak gasped sharply and covered her mouth. She was wishing to any kind of power out there that her guide hadn't heard her. Those powers weren't in the mood to listen at the moment.

"You and one of the young men...came from another world?" her guide gasped.

Miaka looked at the ground sadly, "You probably don't believe me. I don't blame you. You probably think I'm crazy."

"Not at all!" the guide smiled. "I just love stuff like that!"

The guide then began to examine everything about her, commenting about how incredible she was. Her clothes, hair, and even her eyes were all examined with a curious gaze. Miaka couldn't help but think she was like a freakshow or something at the moment.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you my name, didn't I?" the guide gasped. "I'm Hotohori. People call me by another name though."

"Um, I'm Miaka Yuki," Miaka introduced. "Just call me Miaka."

"Please stop talking about leaving and please stay," Hotohori said geently, a new gaze overcoming 'her' face. "I know for a fact that the emperor would never have you killed."

Miaka couldn't help but feel flustered as Hotohori touched her face and spoke so gently. She quietly asked herself just why she was getting so excited by a 'woman.'

"So, how about it?" Hotohori smiled.

"Oh...um..well,I" Miaka sputtered.

Hotohori suddenly seemed to grow more serious as 'she' heard someone coming. 'she' instantly hustled Miaka over to the bushes near the building.

"Hide here!" Hotohori whispered as 'she' hid next to her.

Miaka watched some guards turn around the corner and gasped when she saw who was with them. Matthew and Tamahome.

"Spill it!" one guard snapped. "Where is the girl!"

"Beats me," Matthew remarked casually.

"She got away while you were too busy chasing us.Isn't that funny?" Tamahome added with a smirk.

"So you were just some decoy?" a guard barked while he clocked Tamahome on the head.

"Tamahome! Matthew!" Miaka cried as she stepped into view.

"Oh my God," Matthew sighed. "What is the point of us being decoys if you're still here?!"

"I can't just leave you two!" Miaka shouted back.

A guard lunged to grab Miaka, but he met a face full of Tamahome's shoe. Another tried but Matthew tripped him, feeding him dirt when he hit the ground.

"You bastards!" one of the downed guards growled.

"Lay one finger on her," Tamahome warned.

"We'll kill you," Matthew finished.

The guards looked ready to try again before they were interrupted.

"Enough!" a commanding voicce shouted. Everyone tunred to see Hotohori removing 'her' cloak. "You are not permitted to touch any of those three without my direct order!"

"Hotohori?" Miaka gasped in surprise.

"Your majesty!" the guards gasped as they bowed. Tamahome seemed to be going into shock again while Miaka and Matthew seemed confused.

"How can such a beautiful woman be the emperor?" Miaka asked quietly.

"How dense are you?!" Tamahome snapped. "His majesty is all man!"

"Wasn't the voice enough of a tip-off!?" Matthew added.

Miaka seemed to be in shock as realisation hit her. She then walked up calmly top Hotohori and placed her hands on his chest.She seemed so intent on examining him.

"It's flat!" she gasped. "Nothing above and there's a mysterious object below that I know nothing about."

"Were you repressed when you were younger?!" Matthew roared in annoyance.

Later

Everyone was seated before Hotohori who was now donned in his imperial robes. He seemed lie a totally different person with his hair donne up and dressed more manly.

"Our apologies," Hotohori said humbly. "Trickery was not our intention. We merely wished to understand you better."

Matthew withheld the urge to remark on the treat ment but instead internally ranted on how sitting on his knees was killing him. Little did he know that Tamahome was thinking along the same lines.

"At least we have disproved the theory that you and Matthew are not demons," Hotohori smiled.

"So, you're going to let us go?" Miaka smiled.

"Of course, you will not be executed," he smiled

"I'm liking this guy," Matthew smiled.

"However, we only ask request one thing," Hotohori continued. "Will either you or Matthew protect our empire asthe priest of Suzaku?"

"Huh?" both Matthew and Miaka grunted.

"We only need one of you," Hotohori continued. "There is a legend in our land. When the empire is in danger, then a youth from another world will appear seeking the power of Suzaku. With that power, the youth will lead the empire into glory."

Hotohori looked down at the ground before him in contemplation, "This youth, called the priest, or preistess, of Suzaku, whichever you prefer, has finally arrived. They sit before us now."

"You've got it all wrong!" Miaka cried, earning stares from everyone. "I'm just a junior high student cramming for my exams! I'm here by mistake!"

"Yet I assume both of you are here with a wish, correct?" Hotohori asked. "You both came here seeking the power of Suzaku so your wish can be granted, yes?"

Miaka gasped as reality came at her with a two-ton brick again. She was in a world where she coulld become a hero ofthe world. Where a god could grant her wish. She could be getting anything she wanted. She could be a hottie or get any guy she wanted like Yui! She was going to so do this!

Tamahome just stared at her like she was something weird again. Matthew just smiled. He figured that Miaka would make a better priestess than he would be as a priest. Besides, her wishes were far more important than his.

"I-I could get into whatever school I want to," Miaka gasped.

"So modest," Hotohori smiled. "Have you ever considered ruling the world?"

Miaka didn't even seem to hear them as she leaped forward, "I am so there! I'll do it!I'll be the preistess of Suzaku! I have been waiting this for so long!"

"Everyone stand back!" Hotohori said seriously. "This young lady will obtain the power of Suzaku! This is the preistess of Suzaku that will protect our empire!"

Miaka rubbed the back of her neck as she looked at everyone staring at her. Matthew only had a smile on his face. He was the onlly person who wasn't staring at her like she was a goddess oof some sort.

"I hope I don't disappoint," she muttered shyly.

She then looked back to Hotohori while wearing a sweet smile, "Well, I think I'd better get home."

"What do you mean?" asked Hotohori. "You just said-"

"I know, I know," Miaka sighed. "But I have to apologize to my mom. I have school too."

_Hey, what's this book doing on the floor?_

Miaka snapped around, trying to find the voice. She couldn't see anyone who seemed to have heard it, but Matthew was reacting to it.

_Looks like the door lock is broken._

"Is that the librarian?" Matthew asked urgently.

"Don't close the book!" Miaka cried.

A deep slamming sound that echoed in Miaka and Matthew's minds. That sealed their fate. Their only way home was now blocked. With the exit cut off, there was no way for them to get back home.

"Ain't life just grand," Matthew groaned while holding his head.

To Be Continued

A/N: Hello everyone! Are you happy to see me again? I hope you enjoy this newest update. If you have any questions or comments then feel free to review. No flames though. I don't respond to flames.


	5. Chapter 5

I do not own Fushigi Yugi or any of the connected characters. I only own the OC I made. The rest belongs to Yu Watase. Now that I have made this disclaimer, no one can sue me or else become prey to my rabid lawyers!  
-Ten-Faced Paladin

Fushigi Yugi: Dansei Tsure by Ten-Faced Paladin Chapter 5: The Seven Constellations of Suzaku.

Miaka was sitting in her room in a depressed state. Even though she was fresh from the baths and getting ready for bed, she looked anything but peaceful. All the ramifications of being sealed in the book were coming to her mind. Her family and friends were all out of her reach and they might think she was dead before long. Even worse, in her mind, was what she was going to do for underwear.

Outside her room, Tamahome and Matthew, who were partially ready for bed as well, were silently watching Miaka go through her series of gloomy faces. Tamahome was regarding Miaka with a strange eye.

"I take it that this happens a lot," Tamahome remarked.

"From time to time," Matthew sighed. "Except this time she has an actual reason to be depressed. we're cut off from going home."

"I would be depressed about that too if I couldn't go home," Tamahome nodded in understanding.

"Yeah," Matthew nodded. "What are you waiting for Tamahome? Go comfort her."

"Huh?" Tamahome gaped. "Why me? You're from her world. You go."

"But you'd do a better job of it," Matthew argued. "She likes your attention better anyway."

"You're just lucky that I'm not going to charge you since I was going to do that anyway. The emperor is worried about her." Tamahome sighed. "But you're still going to help."

"Whatever," Matthew sighed. "Just go already!"

Tamahome shrugged and walked into the room while Matthew leaned on the doorframe. Miaka was too busy going into her gloom to notice either of them. Tamahome simply took a seat behind Miaka and bonked her gently on the head, catching Miaka's attention.

"Nice faces there," he smiled gently.

Miaka suddenly snapped out of her gloom and looked up in shock at the two boys in her room. She gasped and recoiled slightly.

"T-Tamahome! Matthew! How dare you two sneak into my room!" she shrieked.

"Ah calm down would you?" Matthew sighed. "We're just worried about you. Heck, even that Hotohori guy is worried."

"Yeah," Tamahome confirmed. "The entire empire is going nuts over you, miss preistess of Suzaku. They're even letting me stay in the palace thanks to you."

"Humph," Miaka pouted. "You don't have to keep me company. It's not like I'm lonely or anything."

Tamahome shook his head while Matthew sighed in slight agitation. Tamahome then looked at Miaka who had his back turned to him. In the blink of an eye he wrapped his arms around Miaka and held her close in a caring hug. Matthew smiled and decided to let the two lovebirds have a moment together as he left the room.

"Don't pretend," Tamahome whispered in Miaka's ear.

"Ehh?" Miaka gasped in complete surprise while extreme heat started flooding to her face.

"When it's time to cry, cry with all your heart. That's the first step to feeling better," Tamahome smiled. "Special offer, free of charge. I'll be your big brother. How's that?"

Miaka replied with a sniffle as she gripped Tamahome's shirt even tighter. She felt just so warm and comfortable and didn't want to leave. She didn't care if Tamahome was some character in a book, he was real enough to her.

"You know, I was thinking," Tamahome commented. "If you really want to go home, why don't you just get the power of Suzaku? You'd be home in no time flat."

"He's got a point," Matthew commented from outside the room. "With Suzaku on our side we could do just about anyhting."

"What are we waiting for?" demanded Miaka with a huge smile. "We gotta see Hotohori!"

Miaka then made a mad dash for the door. She was about to race down the hall when Matthew caught her by the back of her shirt.

"As much as I'm sure Hotohori would love to see you in this little ensamble," Matthew snickered, gesturing to her clothes or lack of. "I'm pretty sure you'd prefer to be fully clothed."

"Eep!" Miaka blushed furiously as she went back into her her room to change. Tamahome was hurled out a slpit-second later. The door then slammed shut as Miaka began getting her things.

"Well I say we cheered her up," Tamahome smiled as he stood up.

The door opened as Miaka came out in her full school uniform. Her hair was done up in a simple ponytail as she stepped into the hall.

"What are you two waiting for?" she asked impatiently. "Time's awastin'!"

Tamahome and Matthew looked at each other in slight confusion at her change in attitude. The both just shrugged in resignation and followed Miaka. Unfortunately she still hadn't quite figured out the layout of the palace. It took asking for directions from a servant before they found Hotohori's study.

"Miaka!" Hotohori smiled from his desk. "I'm sorry. I've just been so busy so I couldn't spend any time with you."

"Oh don't worry Hotohori...I mean your majesty," Miaka smiled cutely. "Say, I was wondering just how I could obtain the power of Suzaku."

"I was just researching that myself," Hotohori replied. "It's in this scroll Universe of the Four Gods."

"No way!" Miaka gasped while Matthew's eyebrows rose. "That's the book we're in!"

"Indeed," Hotohori nodded, not getting what Miaka meant. "It is a scroll of prophecies handed down from Tai Yi-Jun to Tai Ju, my ancestor."

"Cool," Matthew nodded. "What does it say about our brand new priestess and her powers?"

"In the book there are twenty-eight holy constellations," Hotohori explained. "Each of the cardinal points, North, South, East, and West claim seven of them. The southern seven are know as 'The Suzaku' in general terms."

"So what do the seven constellations have to do with us?" asked Tamahome.

"I'm just getting to that," Hotohori smiled. "The seven constellations of Suzaku are called Chichiri, Tamahome, Nuriko, Hotohori, Chiriko, Tasuki, and Mitsukake."

"Wait a sec," Matthew began.

"Tamahome and Hotohori?" gaped Miaka.

"That's correct," Hotohori smiled brightly as he pulled his collar down to reveal a symbol on his neck. "I Hotohori and Tamahome along with the rest of the seven constellations must protect the priestess of Suzaku so that she may recieve her magical powers."

"So that's what the book meant by collecting the seven constellations," Matthew grinned. "It meant the seven warriors who are meant to protect the priestess!"

"Y-you mean that there are five other people out there with markings on them?" Miaka cried.

"Yes," Hotohori nodded. "If you don't personally find the other five warriors then you will not obtain the power of Suzaku. Says so right here in the scroll."

"What is this?" asked Miaka sadly as she went swirly-eyed. "Some kind of RPG?"

"Would you just get a grip?" Matthew and Tamahome sighed as they tried to calm her down.

When her eyes landed on Tamahome, she seemed to come to her senses. She shook her head slightly before she stepped closer to him.

"Did you know about this Tamahome?" she asked seriously.

"I knew that my name came from a constellation but...I guess I'm supposed to protect you huh?" Tamahome replied, still recovering from his surprise.

"That would be the general assumption," Matthew nodded, his mind curious as to what role he held in this mysterious play.

Miaka suddenly gasped as something came to her. She had only three months until her high school exams. If she didn't find the other five warriors before then...

"I'll be held back!" Miaka cried out loud as she began to flail in panic. "Oh constellation number three, where art thou?!"

"Now hold on, no need to panic yet," Hotohori said calmly. "There's a clue as to the whereabouts of the third constellation. Are you even listening?"

"She'll catch up later," Matthew commented as he peered over Hotohori's shoulder to look at the scroll. "What about that clue?"

"Ah, yes," Hotohori continued. "The third constellation is referred to as the characters gong and wu. The first means palace and the other means fierce strength."

"Which probably means that the third constellation is in the palace and is amazingly strong in one way or another."

"My thoughts exactly," Hotohori nodded. "I do wonder however Matthew, would you by any chance have a birthmark of any kind?"

"Huh?" wondered Matthew. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, it just seems to be curious to me," Hotohori explained. "I mean, you have been with Miaka since she first came to this world if what you said yesterday was true. You stuck with her through thick and thin even as you were imprisoned. Not to mention that you were willing to put yourself in danger alongside Tamahome to protect Miaka. That sort of dedication takes a fiercely strong heart in my opinion."

"He's got a point there," Tamahome nodded. "We may not get along all the time but I think we make a pretty good team. Maybe a little fighting experience and we'd be even better."

"Woah, hold on," Matthew said in slight amazement. "You guys think that I might be either Nuriko, Mitsukake, Chichiri, Chiriko, or Tasuki?"

Hotohori nodded in confirmation while Tamahome just shrugged. Miaka, on the other hand seemed to have been listening to the conversation and promptly freaked out.

"Whaaaaaaat?!" she shrieked. "No way! Matthew can't be a constellation!"

Matthew obviously took a little offense to that remark, "And just why can't I? I think I can handle it. I've been helping Tamahome protect you enough to qualify in my opinion!"

"You're so rude!" Miaka huffed. "A constellation must always be respectful and kind to his priestess."

"Name one time when I've been rude to you," Matthew frowned.

"How about when we first met?" Miaka asked. "You barely said two words to me!"

"Do you know how bad my Japanese was then?" Matthew asked incredeously. "With how fast you were talking I barely caught a sentance from you. I was lucky Yui was able to speak English."

"Fine," Miaka huffed, seeing his point. "How about all those times when me or Yui invited you over to our houses? You turned us down every time! That's so mean!"

"You only asked me once," Matthew pointed out. "I was still learning a few customs when you asked. I didn't want to enter your house and accidentaly insult your family. Besides, Yui asked later and she and I have hung out a few times since then."

"Urg!" Miaka grunted, finding that she was losing the battle of wits. "Okay, how about all those times you laughed at me?"

"You do realise that you were doing some really silly things," Matthew replied. "Who wouldn't laugh? I wasn't doing it to be mean."

"Well it still hurt my feelings," Miaka commented quietly.

Matthew sighed and looked at Miaka with a slight frown, "Sorry. I didn't know."

Miaka looked at Matthew and saw the real regret at hurting her in his eyes. She smiled slightly.

"Well now that that's over," Tamahome snickered. "Do you have a mark Matthew?"

"As cool as it would be to be a celestial warrior," Matthew sighed. "I can't say that I am. I don't have any kind of mark that you're looking for."

"Ah well," Tamahome shrugged. "It was worth a shot."

"Not having the mark can still just mean that you are a warrior but are not aware of it," Hotohori remarked. "I wouldn't throw out the idea of you being a constellation just yet."

"I'll keep it in mind," Matthew smiled. "In the meantime, how are we going to discover the third constellation?"

"I actually have an idea about that," Hotohori smiled. "But it will have to wait until morning."

--------------------------------------------

While the sun was high over the palace, Hotohori, Tamahome, Miaka, and Matthew were all shaded underneath a canopy provided by the servants. In front of them was a single adviser and a small group of soldiers. They were all bowing before their emperor.

"It is quite simple," Hotohori nodded to his friends. "When we find the most valiant man in the palace then we'll have found the third constellation. Simple."

"How are we even sure it's a man?" asked Matthew silently, even if no one heard him.

"As your majesty requested," the advisor announced. "We have selected the finest warriors in the palace."

Hotohori snapped his attention back to his advisor and nodded in acknowledgement, "Well done."

Miaka was looking frantically at the group of soldiers, "Do any of you have a mark that appears on your body?"

Tamahome smirked from his seat, "It doesn't appear just because the guy wants it to. He might not even know he has it."

He smirked before he stood up and walked towards the soldiers while rubbing his knuckles, "Let me test them a little."

He stopped in front of the soldiers with a confident smile on his face, "Personally, I'd prefer the other five to be hot babes, but now then!"

Miaka humphed as a sour look came to her face. Matthew unleashed a silent snigger which got Miaka to shoot him a death glare. He just ignored it before Miaka turned her attention back to Tamahome who was now going at the soldiers.

"Well excuse my lack of babe-itude," she frowned. "But I would rather have five buff guys so there!"

Her rant was cut off as everyone witnesssed Tamahome really kicking some butt. His blows were breaking the shields of some of the soldiers and his punches were being felt by the men despite the armor they were wearing. Soon they were out cold on the ground and Tamahome was in a ready position in the middle of them.

"Huh?" he asked, confused. "Is that it?"

"Get carried away much?" Matthew snickered

"Tamahome," Hotohori sighed. "Our purpose was not to allow you to show off."

Miaka smiled as she brushed a stray hair back behind her ear. She then put on her most charming smile and a strange sparkle came to her eyes.

"Looks like it's my turn," she smiled.

"And what would you have in mind?" asked Hotohori curiously.

"I'll be fine!" she smiled. "The only thing my teachers ever compliemented me on was my speed!"

"Oh yes," Matthew nodded. "Faster than a speeding dodgeball, more powerful than a string with food, able to leap entire worlds with a single bound, it's...Super Miaka!"

He then met with a fist to the back of his head from Miaka herself. He staggered slightly but soon regained himself. He smiled brightly at Miaka who just frowned darkly at him.

"Anyhow," Miaka sighed, returning to her train of thought. "A truly valiant man would never touch a girl. Sort of like how dogs don't bark too much. Just watch."

As Miaka prepared herself to execute her plan, Three extra witnesses to the festivities could be found watching from the palace. Three beautiful women to be exact. The woman in the lead seemed deadset on seeing everything while the other two apparently just wanted to leave.

"Kang-Lin, we have to go back!" one begged. "We'll be scolded for this!"

"So that's the priestess of Suzaku that everyone is talking about," the leader Kang-Lin said out loud, ignoring her friend's words. She watched with a frown at how close Miaka was standing next to the emperor.

"Why is she so friendly with his majesty?" she asked with a frown. "She is no empress."

Her eyes then darted over to Tamahome. She stared at him for a moment before she continued to speak again, "Who is that man standing over there?"

"He is one of the protectors of the priestess. A celestial warrior of Suzaku. Tamahome," one of the two other women replied.

"Hmm," Kang-Lin pondered before she turned her gaze to Matthew, "What about him? He is rather tall and his eyes seem a bit larger than normal."

"Oh," one of the girls giggled, "I have heard that his name is Matthew. Odd isn't it? His majesty thinks that he might be one of the celestial warriors. I don't care either way, he's still just as handsome."

"A foreign charm," the other girl sighed. "If the emperor does not choose me as a bride then I might just go after him."

"Ugh," Kang-Lin sighed. "Spare me. The emperor is the only one for me. No other man will suffice."

While the girls talked, Matthew actually noticed them spying on the proceedings. Deciding to check it out, he turned to Hotohori.

"Excuse me for a moment," he whispered. "But some young ladies seem interested in seeing this."

Hotohori smiled, "Ah how some people flock. Feel free to invite them over. I'm sure they would love to if they are trying to see from so far away."

Matthew smiled and stepped out of the shade of the canopy. He walked to the stairs and began making his way up the stairs to the three women. The two behind the pillar were growing nervous while the one who was in full view seemed unfazed.

"Good day ladies," Matthew smiled. "Can I ask why you three are all here while everyone else is down with the emperor?"

"Well," the lead woman sighed. "We three are from the Inner Seraglio. We are supposed to be there at all times in case the emperor is in need of our 'attentions'."

"Uh-huh," Matthew nodded. "So then you technically can't be here despite the emperor being here."

"Correct," the woman in the lead nodded. "Really we need permission to travel to the other places like this since we are so important to the future of the empire."

"I'm sure," Matthew nodded. "Well, since I am a friend to the emperor and the priestess of Suzaku, would my permission to join us down there be enough?"

The woman brightened intensely, "Oh of course it is! My name is Kang-Lin. These two are my friends Xong-Sui and Ko-Long! Come on girls!"

Xong-Sui and Ko-Long both stepped out and nodded in thanks to Matthew. They were both striking in their own ways, Matthew noticed. Xong-Sui was a girl of fair complexion with heir black hair tied back in a bun. Ko-Long let her hair fall back freely and had jeweled ribbons running through it. They were both blushing as Matthew smiled at them.

"So polite," Ko-Long giggled.

"So charming," Xong-Sui smiled.

"Shall we ladies?" asked Matthew, gesturing to the crowd. The three women nodded excitedly.

Matthew led the way down the stone steps with the three women following him. He idly wondered how the guys back home would react to him having three beautiful women flanking him. They'd probably ask what he did with them and if he could get anymore for them. He looked to see that Miaka was in trouble...again.

Apparently, Miaka had thought that goading the soldiers to attack her would be a smart move. That way she could tell which one was the constellation by how they would refrain from attacking her. Unfortunately, she hadn't counted on none of them apparently being the constellation. That turned out to be the case as all the concious soldiers were taking swipes at her. Even as everyoe watched, one guard was picking up heavy stone carvings and was preparing to hurl them at Miaka.

"Dammit!" Matthew cursed, "Excuse me ladies!"

Matthew then raced for the main grounds to get the soldiers to stop. Ko-Long and Xong-Sui watched in fascination as he ran. He blew right past Hotohori as Tamahome began teaching the soldiers a lesson. Miaka was currently standing underneath a small structure. The carvings that the soldiers had thrown had hit several pillars and were causing the structure to wobble.

Hotohori noticed this as he saw Matthew charge forward, "Miaka! Get away from there!"

Miaka looked up as the building began to shake more violently. Tamahome also gasped as he saw what was happpening. Without thinking, he charged forward towards the young girl. Hotohori could just stand before the entire structure came crumbling down.

"MIAKA!!!"

-------------------------------------------

Back in Miaka and Matthew's world, things were apparently running rather smoothly. At the moment, Yui and a couple of her friends were at the bookstore making a couple of purchases. Yui was just at the counter paying for what she picked out.

"Hey Yui," one of the girls called. "What did you buy?"

"A textbook," she replied seriously. She held the look for about a moment before she broke out in a smile. "Just kidding! I got some manga."

"Oh sure," another friend pouted. "Geniuses don't have to study."

The girls shared a small laugh at this. They were about to leave when one of them gasped and pointed at Yui.

"Yui!" she cried in shock. "What happened?!"

"Huh?" was Yui's only reply. "What do you mean?"

"Your skirt!" the same friend spoke. "There's blood on it!"

"Not only that," another friend gasped. "It's running down your arm too!"

Yui looked down at herself and saw that her friends were actually right. There was a large dark red stain on her skirt. She also checked her right arm and saw that there was blood dribbling down her hand. She checked her wrist and found no injury but that the blood was coming from her wristwatch. Yui secretly hoped that she could get whatever it was out. Matthew had given it to her for her birthday even though he was only in Japan for a few weeks. She cherished the small timepiece because of that. He was truly a good friend despite what Miaka thought.

---------------------------------------------------------

Miaka shifted slightly in the darkness. She could feel a stabbing pain running through her leg and the hot blood pooling out of it and soaking into her outfit. She knew that the building had collapsed on her but she just wasn't sure about one thing.

'How am I still alive?' she wondered to herself as she opened her eyes. Her eyes then bugged out at what she was seeing.

Above her were both Tamahome and Matthew, holding up the rubble. Tamahome was straddling Miaka, keeping the rocks from crushing her while Matthew was using the right side of his body to keep the rocks from caving in on that side. Miaka could feel something warm touching her hand and she looked to see that it was blood dripping onto her hand. She looked up to see that the blood was dripping from Matthew's forearm.

"Tama...home?" she gasped quietly. "Ma...tthew?"

"Urgh," Tamahome grunted. "Most of the soldiers are out cold so there aren't enough people to move this stuff!"

"You'd think that an emperor would have more than just those here to protect him," Matthew groaned.

Miaka stared wide-eyed at her two friends. She did feel something cover her before all the rubble crashed. Not to mention that it had felt lighter on her right side than the left.

"You guys have to stop!" Miaka cried desperately. "You'll be crushed by this stuff. Please stop!"

"Stupid! I told you I'd look after you right?" Tamahome asked with a grunt. "So no matter what, I'll always protect you!"

"Heh," Matthew groaned. "I may not be a celestial warrior, but you are still my friend Miaka. No way I'd just let anything happen to you."

Miaka was struck speechless by the declarations. She blushed healthily at Tamahome's words. Matthew's words touched her soul and made her realise that maybe the things Yui had said in his defence were actually true.

Tamahome's arms suddenly began to buckle as he struggled to keep the weight up. Matthew wasn't much farther behind him as he started shaking from the sheer weight as well.

"Dammit," Tamahome groaned as he was pressed closer to Miaka. "I can't hold it...much..."

Miaka didn't know what to do now. She was about to be crushed under tons of rock and she was going to take not only Matthew, but Tamahome with her. She felt despair sink into her heart at the end drawing so close. She thought it was going to happen when more rumbling could be heard. Tamahome and Matthew felt their strength about to give out when the weight was suddenly lifted from their bodies. They turned to the light as a new voice called to them.

"So, you're still alive?" the new person asked. "You lucky devil you."

The three trapped in the rubble turned to see who had saved them. It appeared to be a woman with long hair done up in a braid and had a mole below her left eye. Tamahome and Miaka didn't seem to know her, but Matthew had a different reaction.

"Kang-Lin?" he asked in shock. "How did you get us out of here?"

"Oh Matthew," the woman giggled. "A woman never tells her secrets. Now you'd better get out here. Xong-Sui and Ko-Long are so worried about you."

Matthew, Tamahome, and Miaka were all brought out of the rubble. They were seated on the ground while the healer made his rounds to each of them. Xong-Sui and Ko-Long were fussing over Matthew like he was on his deathbead.

"Really girls," Matthew sighed as he gripped his wound. "I'm fine. It's just a scratch really."

"But it's so deep!" cried Ko-Long.

"Yes!" Xong-Sui nodded. "You could have died!"

"But I didn't," Matthew smiled. "So what's the fuss about? Once I'm healed up then it'll be like it never happened."

Hotohori smiled at the attention Matthew was recieving. He was very modest. No doubt he would have made an excellent priest if he had chosen to take the position rather than Miaka. Thinking of her, he turned his attention to her and his fellow warrior.

"Doc, I'm dyin," Tamahome groaned faintly.

"You did very well in protecting the priestess Tamahome," Hotohri smiled.

"He didn't do very well at all!" Miaka snapped angrily. "What would we do if he died?!"

Tamahome grinned weakly as he sat up straight, "I only did what I felt like doing. Eventually though I will be expecting some expensive thank-you gifts."

Miaka blushed again as she nodded a small thanks. Satisfied that things were in hand, Hotohori turned his attention to Kang-Lin.

"Aren't you from the Inner Seraglio?" he asked. At her nod, he continued. "That power you showed, removing stones of incredible weight as if they were noting. You wouldn't happen to be..."

Kang-Lin smiled as she pulled down the neck of her robes to reveal a marking near her collar bone.

"I am Kang-Lin," she introduced. "Or Nuriko as in the constellation."

"Always in the last place you'd look," Matthew remarked in surprise.

"So she's a woman!" Miaka exclaimed while standing up. "Thank you for rescuing me! I'm Miaka Yui!"

Kang-Lin, now known as Nuriko, just wordlessly walked past Miaka and towards Matthew and Tamahome. She then turned to face Miaka with a mischevious smirk on her face.

"The only one's I wanted to save were these two handsome men," she smiled. "Matthew because several of us in the Seraglio are curious about him and Tamahome..."

Nuriko decided to let her actions do the talking. She walked gracefully over to Tamahome where the doctors were tending to him. She grabbed his arms and before he could get two words out, she planted her lips right on his, stiffling any protests he had.

"T-T-Tamahome!?" Miaka gasped.

Matthew watched the fierce liplock in slight surprise. He also felt something like the willies run down his spine. He wasn't sure why but for some reason he had began to feel creeped out when he saw Nuriko kiss Tamahome. He just figured it was just nerves.

How wrong he would find out he was.

To Be Continued...

A/N: I'm back folks. After a nice relaxing christmas break and some time to collect my thoughts, here I am to send you more chapters to my stories. I hope you all enjoy this. Now three warriors are found. You're probably still wondering just how Matthew is playing into all this, you'll find out eventually. Bet you can't guess though. 


	6. Chapter 6

I do not own Fushigi Yugi or any of the connected characters. I only own the OC that was placed in here. Anything else belongs to Yu Watase. Now that that is out of the way I hope you enjoy the story. -Ten-Faced Paladin

Fushigi Yugi: Dansei Tsure By Ten-Faced Paladin Chapter 6: Dangerous Love

Yui was a girl in distress. Here she was out in public and she somehow got blood on her skirt and the watch that Matthew had given her. At the moment she was stomping into a public washroom with a sour look on her face. Her two friends weren't that far behind.

"Um, Yui?" asked one friend. "That blood on your skirt...it's not your time of the-"

"No!" Yui snapped in slight embarassment. "And I'm not injured either. I don't know how it got there or on my watch."

"Well, whatever it is could you wash it off?" asked the other friend. "It's grossing me out!"

"Gladly!" Yui sighed as she went directly for the sink.

She took the watch off her wrist and began to run it under the water since the blood still looked wet. She was thankful that the mechanism was waterproof. She scrubbed at the watchband and felt her ire rise when not even a drop of the stuff was coming off. The frustraton must have been showing in her face because her friends started asking about it.

"Why so bent over a watch anyway?" Yui's friend asked.

"Didn't you hear?" gasped the other. "Matthew was the one who gave it to her!"

"You mean that foreign guy? A lot of the girls talk about him but a lot of people are kind of scared to actually talk to him."

"Well that same scary guy gave that watch to Yui for a birthday present! He had only been in Japan for a few weeks remember? I think that was incredibly sweet of him."

The two girls then turned their gaze to Yui. Her face was a nice crimson as they talked about how she got that watch. It was pretty plain to see where their trains of thought were heading.

"So Yui," they both began. "How long have you and Matthew been going out?"

"What?!" Yui shrieked, turning around. "Me and Matthew?"

"You have to admit," her friend shrugged. "He's nice when you get to know him. Haven't you said that several times to us?"

"Yeah," the other friend nodded. "I think he's grade 'A' boyfriend material. I mean, a tall guy like him? He's got to be naturally athletic! Not to mention he's got a foreign charm about him."

"Well," Yui blushed, remembering other events concerning Matthew, like the slavers. "It...it's not like I don't or can't see myself with him. It's just that I'm in the middle of studying and all that."

"Oh please," the girls sighed. "You are a genius so you can pass easily. You could just have some 'late night study sessions' with him to be on the safe side."

"Okay, that's enough!" Yui snapped as she turned around. "What goes on between Matthew and me is none of your business!"

"Uh...Yui?" asked one girl, "The stain on your skirt is gone."

Yui stopped in mid rant as she looked down at her skirt. Sure enough, the large red stain in the fabric had vanished. Yui couldn't help but just stare at what just happened. She looked up at her watch to find that the blood stains were also gone.

"What...just happened?" she asked out loud.

--------------------------------------------------

Matthew held up his watch in satisfaction. Now that the bloodstains were gone he felt like he could wear the thing again. He had spent a good hour in his room trying to clean it.

"About damn time," he smiled. "I didn't think I was ever going to get it out."

Matthew looked over to his bandaged arm and gently put the watch onto his wrist. He longed to scratch it but he really didn't want to aggrivate his wound any more than it already was. It had been messy enough when he got pulled out of the rubble. Xong-Sui and Ko-Long were fussing enough as it was.

He was brought out of his thoughts by a shrill scream that echoed through the halls. Matthew immediately stormed out of his room and headed for the source. He raced down the hallways and narrowly avoided three head-on collisions with servants before he ended up in front of Miaka's room.

"Is everyone okay?" he demanded in concern before his eyes bugged out at the scene he had walked in on.

Miaka was sitting on a stool in nothing but her panties. She was blushing furiously while desperately trying to cover herself. Tamahome was sprawled on the ground with some kind of fabric wrapped around his feet. On the other end of the fabric was Nuriko, with a smile on her face.

"Well if it isn't Miaka!" Nuriko giggled. "So sorry to intrude."

Nuriko then got a grip on the fabric before beginning to drag him out of the room. Tamahome seemed pretty intent on staying where he was.

"This man is so shy!" Nuriko giggled. "Come, Tama-baby, we're leaving."

She then turned around to leave when she was met face to face with Matthew. He seemed to have witnessed the event and was staring strangely at both her and Tamahome.

"Oh! Matthew!" Nuriko smiled. "Just the man I was going to see next. Some of the girls in the Inner Seraglio were hoping that you would join them for dinner. Xong-Sui and Ko-Long are still very worried about you!"

"Uhh...sure," Matthew nodded before he glanced at Tamahome. "Is he okay?"

"Oh Tama-baby's fine!" Nuriko giggled before she began dragging the unfortunate male away. "He's tough!"

Nuriko then giggled again before she vanished around the corner. Matthew just watched them go as he continued to stare strangely at them.

"Is everyone just going crazy or is it me?" he asked out loud.

"Get out!" Miaka shrieked as she hurled her stool at Matthew, knocking him into the wall opposite of Miaka's door. Message recieved, loud and clear.

--------------------------------------

Matthew was still feeling a little stuffed in his new clothes. Hotohori had provided them when he said that the girls of the Inner Seraglio had requested his presence. The emperor had been oddly calm about him hanging out with his consorts, even friendly about it. When Matthew had asked him if it was okay, he had just replied that the women were free to pick and choose who they spent time with to their hearts desire. Besides, he hadn't actually been there before.

Matthew was donned in a white chinese shirt that had black edges on it. He wore a gold sash with white pants. It didn't quite feel like his colors but he really didn't have anything else to go in so he had no choice.

Matthew steepped to the doors and knocked on them to ask for entrance. The door slid open and there was Xong-Sui. She was in red clothes this time and her hair was in a braid. A smile instantly came to her face.

"Matthew!" she cried in delight. "Oh thank-you for joining us! It means so much to us!"

Matthew could only nod before Xong-Sui grabbed him by the arm and brought him inside. He looked around and found that it was a gorgeous place that these girls lived in. It was almost its own building. There were several women all preparing for dinner too. They were all very beautiful and were about Hotohori's age, if not a year or two older or younger.

"Everyone!" Xong-sui called, getting everyone's attention. "This is Matthew. He's the one who's friends with the emperor and helped saved the priestess of Suzaku!"

Matthew flushed under the gazes of the collected women. It didn't really seem that big a deal to him.

"Matthew!" Ko-Long smiled from the crowd. "Sit down here!"

Matthew suddenly found himself ushered from his spot to a seat at a table. He found that most of the girls were keeping an eye on him. For whatever reason he really couldn't understand.

"I heard that you were almost crushed by rubble while helping save the priestess," said one girl suddenly. "Is it true?"

"Unfortunately, yes," Matthew nodded while revealing his bandages. "I have the wounds to prove it too. It wasn't an experience I want to repeat."

The girls giggled and some sighed dreamily. They were no doubt daydreaming about how heroic the scene was. Two men leaping into danger to save a damsel in distress.

"Is it true you came from another world?" asked Ko-Long.

"Yes it is," Matthew nodded as he dug in. "Miaka and I come from the same world."

"Then how come you didn't become the priest of Suzaku?" asked another girl.

"Simple," Matthew smiled. "It's because in my opinion, Miaka would make a better priestess than I would be a priest."

"So humble," Xong-Sui giggled.

The dinnner wore on as conversation continued. Matthew answered as many of the girls' questions as he ould. They were actually very curious about him. They asked about why his eyes were a bit wider than most peoples and how he had gotten so tall for someone his age. Other girls asked how well he knew the emperor. It was a somewhat smooth night until someone decided to ask something a bit more personal.

"Matthew," she began. "Tell us, do you have anyone special in your life?"

Matthew almost choked on what he was chewing on. For some reason his mind flashed to Yui for a brief moment. Shaking that away, he turned to the girl that asked. She only seemed a year older than him at least. It was little wonder that she was curious.

"Um..well," Matthew sputtered. "I really haven't been considering finding anyone. Wh-why do you ask?"

"Well, it's just that we never see the emperor so it gets a little lonely," she replied with a sigh. "And we rather enjoy your company with us."

Matthew's eye twitched as he considered what she was saying. He really didn't expect these women to be asking these kinds of questions.

"Matthew?" asked Ko-Long. "Are you okay? You seem a little pale."

Thinking fast, Matthew decided to make an excuse, "I'm fine. Really."

"Are you sure?" asked another girl. "We have a bed in case you need to rest."

That set alarm bells off in Matthew's head. He quickly stood up as he prepared to make a break for it.

"Oh that won't be necessary," he laughed nervously. "I must thank you for dinner. I very much enjoyed your company. I do have a rather full evening ahead of me so I must make my leave."

"So soon?" asked Xong-Sui. "But it feels like you just sat down."

"Well time flies when one has fun," Matthew laughed nervously as he inched for the door. "Again, thank-you for a wonderful evening. I must be going now, goodbye!"

Matthew then quickly slipped through the doors and made a running break down the hall. As he rounded a corner, he smashed face-first into someone who was running around the same corner.

"Gah!" Matthew groaned as he sat up, shaking the stars from his eyes. He looked to see who he had run into. "Tamahome?"

"Ugh," Tamahome groaned as he sat up. "Matthew? I thought you were with the girls in the Seraglio."

"I was," Matthew sighed. "Only I left when they started prying into my personal affairs."

"And here most guys would kill to get where you were," Tamahome snickered.

"Those same guys would also kill just to get a few moments alone with Nuriko," Matthew retalliated, fighting fire with fire. "What happened to her anyway?"

"Gave her the slip," Tamahome smirked proudly. "To be honest, she's just plain crazy."

"I think it's contagious," Matthew sighed. "Those other girls were acting kinda weird too."

"Oooooh Tama-baby!" Nuriko's voice called from apparently nowhere.

Both men looked up and saw none other than Nuriko standing there with a pleasant smile on her face. She was also holding the sash that she had been using to confine Tamahome in her hand.

"There you are!" she giggled. "It's awfully mean of you to keep running away from me like that."

"Eep!" Tamahome squeaked.

As he tried to run again, Nuriko managed to catch him with her sash again. He met the ground face-first yet again as she came closer.

"Oh! Hello Matthew," Nuriko smiled. "Back so soon from the Seraglio? I thought the girls would try to hold you longer than that."

"What can I say?" Matthew laughed. "I'm an escape artist."

"You must be," Nuriko smiled. "Ah well, If you'll excuse me. Tama-baby and I have many things to do."

"Just don't break him," Matthew warned. "We'll need him to summon Suzaku."

"Of course," Nuriko nodded as she walked away while dragging Tamahome behind her.

Matthew just watched them go with a half-smile on his face. He knew he should of done something to help Tamahome, but his will to live was stronger. No way was he going to try and get between a super-powered woman and her cuddle toy.

Thinking about Nuriko and Tamahome together like that gave him a sudden chill. He thought that a sudden breeze blew through as he went back to his room to get some rest. He needed some after his night.

---------------------------------------------------

They day wasn't really that much more refreshing as it turned out. Apparently Miaka had made herself Nuriko's servant the night before. So far, Nuriko was making the job a living hell for the hapless preistess. Matthew figured that out when he saw Miaka wiping the floor and Nuriko dropping more dirt on it wherever she went.

"Okay," Matthew sighed. "I've seen enough."

He walked over to where Nuriko was keeping Tamahome tied up and hoisted him to his feet, "Come on you. We'd better stop this before they kill each other or something."

Tamahome nodded as he and Matthew made their way over to Nuriko who somehow managed to 'accidentally' throw a small table at Miaka.

"That's enough!" Tamahome snapped. "Quit pickin' on Miaka! I just hate-"

"Me!??" Nuriko sobbed, tears forming on her eyes.

"Hey, hold on," Matthew said, trying to defuse the situation.

"You two don't like me!" Nuriko continued to sob. "Tamahome likes the flake! He wants the little twit! Matthew! I thought we were friends!"

"Now hold on a sec!" Tamahome paniced. "We never said we didn't like you!"

"Yeah!" Matthew quickly nodded.

"Then...then you like me?!" Nuriko sniffed.

The next move Nuriko made caught the two boys by surprise. She leaped forward and caught Matthew and Tamahome in bone-crunching hugs. Literally, the two victims could actually hear their bones shifting.

"I'm so happy!" Nuriko squealed.

"My spine!" Tamahome gasped.

"I can't feel!" Matthew groaned in pain.

All the while that this was happpening, Miaka was watching. She began growling to herself when she saw the boys try to get Nuriko to stop crying. It was when she hugged the boys did Miaka reach her breaking point. Her growls grew larger as she gripped the table that Nuriko had thrown at her.

"You jerks!" she shouted as she hurled the table at the boys.

Her aim was true as the piece of furniture collided with the back of the two boys' heads. They both slumped unconcious in Nuriko's arms. Miaka didn't even wait for anyone to react before she dashed away. She just continued runnning until she felt that she had run enough. Seeing that she was in the courtyard. Seeing that she was also alone, she slumped to the stairs and took a seeat.

"That Nuriko is such a pain in the butt!" Miaka frowned. "She must really like Tamahome though. How did Matthew get to be friends with her?"

Her grumblings were caught short as she heard something shuffling towards her. She turned to look at the source and found the two boys who helped get her so upset in the first place. Tamahome was still trussed up in the fabric while Matthew seemed to be trying to get the feeling back into his legs. Both of them had large bumps on their heads. At first Miaka was happy to see Tamahome, but she remembered that she was mad at the two of them.

"I thought you two had passed out?" she asked sourly.

"We faked it," Tamahome huffed. "We then laid low until she left the room. We then made a break for it."

"You must be psyched to have a babe like that drooling after you," Miaka huffed. "And you Matthew, getting to hang out with the women of the Inner Seraglio. A boy's dream."

"Don't be a moron! You actually think I'm enjoying this?" asked Tamahome as he began getting out of the fabric "I'm only being nice because she's a woman and one of the warriors!"

"A boy's dream?" asked Matthew incrediously. "Maybe a perverts but not mine. Those girls probably picked up on Nuriko's craziness. They kept trying to pry into my personal life."

"Now, the cute little Miaka would say 'oh Tamahome, I'm just lost without you,'" Tamahome said in a high voice to imatate Miaka before he reached over and noogied her slightly. "Let's see a little more of that!"

"Ahh!" Miaka cried as she tried to get away. She took about one step before her leg buckled and she fell to the ground. Tamahome was instantly at her side.

"Why'd you fall down?" he asked in concern.

"It's nothing!" Miaka denied vehemently.

"You don't fall down for nothing," Matthew replied as he stepped closer. "Now what's wrong?"

"I know," Tamahome realised as he lifted Miaka's leg, much to her embarrassment. "She's bleeding again. Do you still have the extra bandages I gave you?"

"Yeah," Matthew nodded as he pulled the white bundle out of his pocket. "Always be prepared."

"You guys had better not look up my skirt!" Miaka said, her face flushed.

"Relax," Matthew sighed. "Your wound kind of takes priority."

Tamahome kneeled in front of Miaka and let her leg rest on his shoulder, "Don't move."

"O-okay," Miaka nodded, he face adopting a cute blush.

While Tamahome was tending to the wound, Miaka felt like she was in her own world with him. She had to admit that she was feeling just a little bit guilty. Nuriko would have been furious if she had seen her and Tamahome together like this.

"So, do you like Nuriko?" Miaka asked out of the blue.

"No way!" Tamahome denied furiously. "I only met her yesterday. Besides, she's not my type."

"Really?" Miaka gasped. 'So you have no feelings for her whatsoever?"

"The man just told you that," Matthew snickered. "Nuriko has a few lessons to learn in subtlty."

Tamahome didn't really hear the last statement as he suddenly started laughing, "I see! I get it!"

He then leaped to the nearby railing and struck a dramatic pose. He even let his voice seem a little more mach as he spoke.

"I realise that I am a kind, macho, beefcake of a martial artist, but money is my first love," He grinned. "So careful girl. I'm a heartbreaker."

"I was almost impressed by that," Matthew snickered. Miaka had a less than amused reply for him.

"I was not jealous!" Miaka snapped.

That's what she was telling herself anyway. She just reasoned to herself that she was feeling sorry for Nuriko. Her feelings were never going to be returned. She just kept telling herself that she wasn't jealous over Tamahome. What none of them knew was that the woman who was causing them grief was listening in just around the corner. She also had a sour look on her face.

----------------------------------------------

Later that night, Matthew decided to see what Hotohori was up to. He found the young emperor gazing out into the night with his two advisors pestering him over something.

"I was saying that your majesty is now eighteen," explained one advisor. "It is time to consider marriage."

"Our public officials have gone to great trouble to collect beautiful women from all over the empire. Why do you ignore the women of the Inner Seraglio?" asked the second advisor.

"I'll tell you why," Matthew replied as he stepped closer. "It's because they'll corner you like a rodent before they pounce. Trust me on this one guys. It's not safe to be a male in there."

"I sense that your visit to the Inner Seraglio was not what most men dream it to be?" asked an amused Hotohori.

"They were hospitible enough," Matthew smiled nervously. "Very nice too. They just tried to move a little too quickly for me."

The advisors seemed a little shocked at what Matthew had just said, "You have been inside the Inner Seraglio?! Your majesty, how could you let this boy just enter the Inner Seraglio like a commoner?!"

"Several reasons," Hotohori replied. "The women there had requested for his company last night. How was I to deny them a little companionship? I can also tell that Matthew is an honorable and trustworthy young man. I knew that he wouldn't do anything to those women. A final reason was that he asked my permission to enter since the women had requested his presence."

"Ahh, I think you might be thinking too much of me," Matthew smiled.

"Your modesty is most refreshing my friend," Hotohori smiled.

"I...I see," an advisor nodded. "My apologies Lord Matthew. Anyway, should we not be concentrating on the affairs of the empire?"

"That's right," agreed the second advisor. "What about that girl Nuriko?"

"Nonsense," Hotohori replied. "She is one of the seven celestial warriors and has been released from the Seraglio to serve Miaka."

"She's not exactly what I'd call wife material anyway," Matthew muttered under his breath.

Hotohori looked to the stars outside as a faraway look came to his face, "Since childhood, we've had an image. We know the face of our ideal woman. And she is..."

"BOO!" came Miaka's cry as she suddenly leaped in front of Hotohori. The advisors were down for the count due to the shock. Matthew and Hotohori just sweatdropped at the display.

"If I wasn't so used to her pulling this stunt with me or Yui, I'm pretty sure I'd be having a heart attack by now," Matthew laughed.

"Miaka, what are you doing there?" asked Hotohori.

"I was actually on my way to do a favor for Nuriko. I'm kinda passing through," Miaka replied with a smile.

"Are you not getting along?" wondered Hotohori.

"Like cats and dogs," Matthew sighed. "With me and Tamahome caught in the middle."

Hotohori was slightly surprised at the response, "If that is the case then I can just order her to-"

"No, We're fine," Miaka interrupted. "Besides, you can't order someone's feelings to change."

Hotohori was struck surprised at the conviction in Miaka's words. Matthew nodded in agreement. He looked to see Miaka heading out.

"Hey Miaka!" he called. "Need a hand?"

Miaka turned around, as she considered Matthew's offer. She then smiled and nodded, "Sure, but you better not slow me down!"

"Perish the thought," Matthew grinned as he leaped over the rail. "Later Hotohori!"

The two set out along a path that led out to a pond. Miaka shivered in the cold air as she peered into the murky depths.

"Just what is Nuriko making you come out here for anyway?" asked Matthew.

"She said that she lost an earing out here," Miaka replied. "She wants me to find it. If I do then she'll join the celestial warriors."

"Okay," Matthew nodded. "What's this thing supposed to look like?"

"Nuriko says it's supposed to be clear crystal so it's hard to see," Miaka explained. "It is supposed to glow at night so that makes it easier to find."

"So why can't Nuriko come out here and get it?" Matthew asked sourly.

"Something about the women of the Inner Seraglio not being alowed to be out this far," Miaka replied.

This little reply got Matthew to stop in his tracks. To him, the entire story that Nuriko had fed Miaka had seemed a little fishy now.

"Wait a sec..." he began, but was soon cut off.

It was Miaka's shrill scream that cut him off. He turned to where he last saw Miaka and found her hand just sinking below the water.

"Crap!" Matthew cursed before he dove underneath the water after her.

----------------------------------------------

Yui sighed as she stepped inside her house. She didn't really bother to announce her arrival since no one was home. She had other things on her mind at the moment.

"Just what was that stuff?" she asked herself. "It really looked like blood, but why did it vanish like that?"

As she pulled off her jacket, her body started feeling wet. She looked to her uniform and gasped to find that it was soaking wet.

"What the-?!" she gasped. "What is this? What's going on?"

Thinking about her watch, she checked her wrist for it. It was still there and seemed to be just as soaked. The only thing was that it had soaked itself much like the uniform had. For some reason, Yui began to get the feeling that Matthew might somehow be involved in what was happening. That alone unnerved her slightly.

Before she could even consider what this might mean, the phone rang and she ran to get it.

"Hello, Hongo residence," Yui answered.

"Yui?" asked the voice on the other end. "It's Miaka's mother. Did Miaka wind up over there? She ran out of the house and hasn't come back since!"

Yui gasped in shock, "No mam. I haven't seen her at all! I'll call some of our other friends and see if they know."

"Please hurry!" Miaka's mother fretted. "I don't know what happened to her and I'm so worried!"

Yui quickly hung up the phone before she started dialing. She knew one person she could call right now that she was very much hoping that was home.

"Hello?" asked a woman's voice as she picked up the phone.

"Hello?" asked Yui. "My name's Yui Hongo, I'm a friend of Matthew's from school. Are you his landlady?"

"Yes I am," the woman confirmed. "I'm sorry but you just missed him. He left earlier saying he was going on a trip. He said that he was going to ask you to come with him. Didn't he get there?"

"Um," Yui sputtered, thinking quickly. "Yes, actually. I had to turn him down though. I was actually hoping he hadn't finished packing yet so I could catch him. It's okay though, it's not important."

Yui finished her call and hung up the phone. She was now extremely worried. Matthew did take tiurist trips every now and then but he must have been crazy to take one when the high school exams were coming up. Miaka was missing too.

"Could...those two have gone togther?" Yui asked herself.

For some reason, that thought made a soft pain in her chest appear.

-----------------------------------

For Miaka and Matthew, things were not so calm for them at the moment. As it turns out, Miaka had gotten herself caught on some seaweed when she fell into the pond. She was tugging and pulling but it was difficult. Matthew was already down there, ripping at the seaweed, trying to get it to break.

'It's got me good,' Miaka thought darkly. 'Matthew can't get it all by himself. He needs help. TAMAHOME!!'

Miaka's silent cry was not heard by the ears of anyone, but the call continued. It went with purpose and it quickly found it's target.

In his bed, Tamahome was sleeping, exhausted by the crazy events of the day. He seemed rather peaceful and relaxed for a change. That quickly changed when his eyes snapped open and his face took on a slight frown of concern.

"Miaka?" he asked as he sat up.

Not liking the feeling he was getting, he quickly got out of bed and began running down the halls. He knew he would feel better if he knew where she was.

"Damn," he cursed. "Where did she run off to? Maybe Matthew knows."

As he was passing by Nuriko's room, he heard her laughing. Curious, and thinking that she was torturing Miaka again, Tamahome decided to listen in.

"What a fool that girl was," Nuriko giggled. "I sent her on a wild goose chase for a nonexistant earing. I was restricted to the inner buildings. How could I have dropped it out there? She'sprobably freezing to death out there right now."

Tamahome had heard enough. He slammed open the door to the room and angrily stomped inside. He didn't say a word until he grabbed Nuriko's arm and made it so she was looking straight at him.

"Did you just say what I think you said?!" he asked in suprise and rising anger.

Nuriko's stunned silence was all the answer he needed. Tamahome instantly turned and began running for the door. He didn't even get two steps when he felt Nuriko's arms holding him in place.

"Hey!" Tamahome snapped. "Leggo you muscle-bound broad!"

"No!" Nuriko cried. "I'll never let you go so you can just run to her!"

Tamahome's anger rose as he turned at Nuriko, "Don't you realise just how hard Miaka is trying to be friends with you?!"

"Well I don't like her!" Nuriko shrieked. "She's got you and the emperor wrapped around her little finger! I've been in the Inner Seraglio for a year and he's never even glanced my way!"

Tamahome wasn't listening as he tried to get away. Nuriko's grip was unfortunately proving as strong as the rest of her. She didn't seem to be ready to end her temper tantrum either.

"She just comes out of nowhere and the emperor just dotes on her!" Nuriko continued. "She just gets the royal treatment without questions. What's so great about her about being from another world! So I've decided to get my revenge by stealing you!"

"So that's it," a soft voice spoke.

Tamahome and Nuriko stopped their argument to see who was at the door. Miaka and Matthew were both there and they were both soaking wet. Miaka had soem seaweed sticking to her leg while Matthew's fingers were slightly muddy. Matthew was looking royally P.O.ed as well.

"Miaka! Matthew! You guys okay?" Tamahome asked, slightly shocked.

"Yeah," Matthew growled. "But Nuriko's not going to be in a minute!"

"Eep!" Nuriko squeaked, seeing his glare.

"It all makes sense now," Miaka continued, drawing everyone's attention. "Nuriko, you're in love with Hotohori, his majesty, aren't you?"

Nuriko was sputtering as Miaka stepped closer while bringing up her hand. She opened it to reveal a small rock the size of a pearl. It had small crystals all over it, letting it glitter in the light.

"There was no earring," Miaka explained. "I found this rock though. Isn't it pretty?"

"You little idiot!" Nuriko snapped. "You actually went into the pond? I was lying!"

"We know that," Matthew replied darkly.

"Your story didn't add up. We both knew that you weren't allowed outside the building." Miaka smiled.

Nuriko's temper couldn't seem to take anymore as she slapped Miaka hard across the cheek. "I will not be mocked!"

"Tag! Your it!" Miaka replied as sheslapped Nuriko just as hard.

Nuriko was absolutely shocked that someone would raise a hand against her. She twirled around and held her sleeves to her face, trying not to reveal the tears coming to her eyes.

"So you were jeleous of me!" Miaka smiled. 'Don't worry. There's nothing going on betweeen Hotohori and me."

"What am I?" asked Tamahome. "Chopped liver?"

"Just let it go," Matthew advised with a sigh. "Lest you get involved in a catfight."

"You know," Miaka offered as she turned Nuriko around. "I could talk to Hotohri if you want."

Nuriko's mood instantly did a one-eighty. She was clasping Miaka's hands with sparkles in her eyes.

"Really?" Nuriko gasped. "You'd do that for me?"

"Uh, yeah," Miaka nodded, sweatdropping, not that anyone could see it.

--------------------------------------------

Later,in Hotohori's private chamber, Miaka was talking about the girls of the Inner Seraglio to him. Hotohori listened politely as Miaka made her statement. He was in his robe and he couldn't help but notice Miaka'sfigure since she was in the same. When Miaka finished speaking, Hotohori started his reply.

"I understand what you're saying," Hotohori nodded. "Matthew has said something along those lines in his regards to meeting with the women."

"Exactly!" Miaka smiled. "It would be nice if you were a little more considerate towards them. I mean,there are probably dozens of women here who are in love with you."

"What about you?" Hotohori asked, his gaze turned towards his window. "Is there a man that you are in love win?"

"M-m-me?" Miaka sputtered, he mind turning to Tamahomefor a moment. "Oh, don't worry about me! I just wanted to recommend someone to you."

Hotohori turned his gaze to Miaka. She felt slightly entranced by his gaze.

"I already have someone," was his reply.

Miaka then found herself gently pulled into Hotohori's gentle arms. She was then laid down on Hotohori's bed. His hand was gentley caressing his cheek.

"Since before I can remember," Hotohori said gently. "She has been someone who I have cherished without question."

'HUH' was the only thought that Miaka could get out coherently.

She just prayed to Suzakau and every god from where she was back to Japan that no one was seeing this.

To Be Continued...

A/N: Hello everyone! I'm back again. Things are progressing smoothly and this chapter is done. I hope you guys are still enjoying the story. I keep aiming to update this story when I can. I hope to hear from you guys. Thanks for the support! 


	7. Chapter 7

I do not own Fushigi Yugi or anything eve remotely connected to the title. They all belong to Yu Watase. I only own my own personal OC. That's it. The only thing I own is that. Any complaints? Then ask my lawyer. He's the one foaming at the mouth. I hope you had your shots.  
-Ten-Faced Paladin 

Fushigi Yugi: Dansei Tsure

By Ten-Faced Paladin

Chapter 7: Hidden Love

Matthew was again wandering the halls of the palace. He was feeling a little restless after all the excitement that Nuriko had put them through. He had resorted to wearing his Chinese clothes that Hotohori had given to him. Currently he was heading to the kitchen for something to eat.

"Hey guys," Matthew greeted as he walked in. "How's everything going?"

The kitchen staff immediately stopped in their tracks as they gaped at him. They weren't sure if they should keep working or stop and bow to show their respect. Matthew was a guest of the emperor and he did come from the same world as the priestess of Suzaku. It was actually a rumor that Matthew was a hidden celestial warrior or even a second Priest of Suzaku. Neither of which had been proven.

Matthew sweatdropped as he felt the stares on him, "H-hey guys. Don't stop on my account. Pretend I'm not even here. I'm just looking for something to eat."

"Oh!" one of the female cooks gasped. "I can help!"

"Really?" Matthew asked, his mood rising at the mention of food. "I don't want to be a burden or anything."

"Oh it's no trouble Mi'lord," the woman giggled. "I would be honored."

'What's with this lord stuff?' Matthew asked himself tiredly. "Well, okay then."

"Excellent! I know just the thing!" the cook smiled as she headed over to her working area. She started grabbing ingredients and set to work on her next creation. Matthew stood at the side, watching her go, finding the foreign delicacies interesting.

"You know," the cook began. "There are quite a number of rumors floating around about you."

"Like the whole celestial warrior thing?" Matthew sighed. "Uh...I didn't quite get your name."

"Tai-Xeng," the woman smiled. "About that rumor. The answer is yes. We all seem to think you might be a celestial warrior destined to protect the priestess."

"I thought so," Matthew nodded. "Hotohori himself seems to think so too. There is a one out of four chance that I could be I suppose. Mitsukake, Chichiri, Tasuki, or Chiriko. I personally don't think so, but one never knows."

"I don't think it's so far-fetched personally," Tai-Xeng replied. "Why do you think it is?"

"Because I don't have anything that makes me special," Matthew replied. "I mean, Tamahome is a skilled matrial-artist. Nuriko has her superhuman strength and Hotohori can control the entire nation. I myself am just a mediocre artist at best. No magic power or expert skills. Why would Suzaku want me as a celestial warrior?"

"Your heart," Tai-Xeng replied gently. "I heard about how you protected her holiness while you both came to the kingdom. At great personal risk to yourself as well if what I heard was correct."

"Could have died a few times I suppose," Matthew nodded. "What's your point."

"My point is that not everyone would do that for someone else," Tai-Xeng sighed as she set her ingredients into a pot to simmer for a minute. "I have met very few young men like you who would stand up to his majestey's guards or place himself between falling rubble and another person just to protect them."

"I didn't do it alone though," Matthew pointed out. "Tamahome had my back both times. Hotohori and Nuriko were the ones who saved us both after the fact."

"True," Tai-Xeng nodded. "But that shows that you work well with the other warriors. That alone raises your chances of actually discovering yourself to be a celestial warrior."

"I wish I was optimistic about it as you were," Matthew smiled. "How are you able to give speeches like that anyway."

"A mother's touch," Tai-Xeng giggled. "I have a daughter your age who has similar issues of self-confidence sometimes."

"Oh really?" Matthew smiled as he gazed at the rest of the kitchen. "She's lucky to have a mother like you then."

"Oh why thank-you!" Tai-Xeng smiled. "You know, if you are ever in the market for a lover, I could perhaps introduce you to each other."

"Erk!" Matthew gasped as his face turned a bright red. "Uh..well, i-it's nice of you to offer but I-I think I've got too much on the mind for a girlfriend right now."

"Ah well," Tai-Xeng sighed. "If you should ever change your mind, my daughter is sought after by many young men so you'd better be quick."

"I'll be sure to remembeer that," Matthew nodded, still blushing red.

It wasn't long after that did Matthew finally get his small meal. He thanked Tai-Xeng and headed back upstairs, enjoying the stew as he went. He had to walk slow because he was having trouble gripping the ingredients with his chopsticks. Even after all his time in Japan he was still have trouble with them. He turned a corner towards Hotohori's room to try and find out if Miaka had talked to him yet or not. What he saw were Tamahome and Nuriko listenig on the wall.

"Hey guys," Matthew greeted as he came up beside them. "What are you doing?"

"Shhhh!" Nuriko hissed. "Are you trying to get us caught? We're trying to hear what's going on between his majesty and Miaka."

Matthew slurped on some noodles as he leaned in closer to the wall. Apparently something juicy was going on or else the two celstial warriors wouldn't be listening as intently as they were. Okay, maybe the would no matter what was going on but it had to be good nontheless.

"Miaka...," Hotohori's voice could be heard speaking gently. "You are exactly how I had imagined you'd be. No other woman holds any interest to me."

Matthew thought he choked on a chunk of meat that he swallowed. He stepped back from the wall and slammed his chest to try and get the meat dow. Tamahome helpfully patted his back to try and help him. It took all of Matthew's willpower to not cough.

"Will you choke quietly!" Nuriko growled silently. "Miaka's flirtting with his majesty and leading him into her clutches. I knew it!"

"Not likely," Matthew snickered while catching his breath. "Miaka doesn't even know how to flirt effectively."

"What do you mean?" asked Tmahome. One could hear some kind of hope in his voice.

"Miaka barely knows the first thing about catching a guy's attention," Matthew explained. "It's funny. She'd try so hard to get a boyfriend back home but here she's got two guys chasing her. It's amazing."

Tamahome frowned indigantly before heading back for the wall to see what else he could hear. Matthew shrugged before leaning to the wall again and returning to his meal.

"I want to know everythinhg about you," Hotohori said with conviction. "Everything!!"

'Holy crap! they're gonna get it on!' was the united thought going through three minds.

Then all was silent. Matthew didn't even dare slurp the noodles that here hanging from his mouth. He thought he could hear the padding of footsteps coming closer. Then he distictly heard the sound of something metal being drawn. He didn't even have time to blink before there was a wooshing noise and the wall collapsed in square sections. Matthew was caught standing with his noodle filled mouth while Tamahome and Nuriko were in a listening pose. All three of them were looking at a rather annoyed Hotohori who was holding a rather sharp looking sword. Miaka was sitting on his bed with her robe slightly disshelved and making a fine impression of a tomato.

"T-Tamahome! Nuriko!! Matthew!!!" she shriked in disbelief.

Hotohori looked none too pleased with his three guests and was looking at them with a sort of accusitory stare. Tamahome and Nuriko sweatdropped before they tried to make themselves look innocent. Matthew, knowing he was undeniably busted, just swallowed his pride,(along with his noodles.)

"What brings you three here?" he asked slowly and patiently, but you could hear the displeasure in his voice.

"We have come for Miaka, your majesty," Nuriko answered quickly with Tamahome nodding furiously.

Hothori nodded while he turned to Matthew. The dispeased but patient stare was turned upon him. Matthew stirred his stew for a few moments before looking back to the emperor with a cool look.

"Don't look at me," he replied. "I was just walking by when you suddenly cut the wall open. I have to admit though, that trick was so damn cool. How did you know that we were here though?"

"When one hears a choking noise before an angry hissing, it becomes quite obvious," Hotohori replied, amusement leaking into his tone.

Nuriko thew a deadly glare at Matthew, who sweatdropped nervously. If the glare could kill, that one would have incinerated him on the spot.

"My bad," Matthew laughed nervously, hoping to get the death beams off of him.

"As for you two," Hotohri spoke, truning his gaze back to Tamahome and Nuriko. "While it is true that I have granted you access to my private apartments, perhaps you couls show a little more discretion.

Tamahome and Nuriko sighed dejectedly, before Tamahome looked back up. He glanced at Miaka, who was still a marvelous shade of red.

"As you wish," Tamahome muttered before he marched away. Nuriko just 'hmphed' sourly before she followed.

Matthew just innocently chewed on his noodles again before following. He knew that this little hurdle that was Hotohori was not going to help Miaka's budding relationship with Tamahome. Nuriko probably wasn't going to help matters much either considering what they had heard Hotohori say. If anything, Nuriko was probably going to be just as vindictive as she was before, if not more so.

'Since when did my life turn into a soap opera?' Matthew idly wondered to himself as he walked towards his room.

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The next morning had brought new light and a well-rested young man with it. Matthew yawned as he stepped into the halls in his regular clothes and began wondering when breakfast was going to be. Deciding to think on it, Matthew just continued walking until he walked past Miaka's room, which the door was still open.

'Wait a sec,' Matthew thought to himself as he took a few steps back to peer inside.

Miaka was sitting on her bedroll with one of her goofier looks on her face. Judging from the bags under her eyes, she hadn't slept at all. Her hair was messed up, which wasn't a surprise when all things were considered. She also seemed to have tuned out the world.

'With what she's been through I'm not surprised,' Matthew sighed inwardly. 'How often does someone have a royal figure come onto them anyway?'

Deciding to do something about Miaka's downtrodden attitude, Matthew took charge. He walked stright intot he room and grasped Miaka's arm, helping her stand.

"Huh?" she gasped confusedly. "Wha-?"

"You've been stewing since last night," Matthew stated plainly. "So enough already. You are going to get dressed and then have breakfast. After that you are going to find a way to talk to Tamahome."

"But, but, but..!" Miaka tried to protest.

"No excuses," Matthew frowned, leaving no room for argument. "I'll be waiting outside for you."

Miaka just watched as the transfer stepped outside before shutting the door. Sighing in resignation, she began getting her uniform together. Sometimes there really wasn't any arguing with some people.

After finally getting dressed, Miaka stepped outside and saw Matthew leaning against the wall. She looked at him with a depressed gaze. Matthew sighed as he stood up and stepped up to her.

"And now we talk," he said gently. "Walk with me?"

Miaka nodded silently before the two of them began their journey. Miaka was just so confused at the moment so she didn't know what else to do but walk. It was easiest for her right now.

"I imagine you now have a bit of angst to work through." Matthew reasoned.

Miaka nodded again, "What am I going to do? I don't even know if this even happens in the book! I still have to get back and take those entrance exams too. You might even miss renewing your student visa!"

"I see," Matthew nodded. "Well, first of all, forget the exams and forget my visa."

"Huh?!" Miaka gaped. "But, but-!"

"Second of all," Matthew continued, ignoring the girl's protest. "This isn't just some game we can save at any point we want. This stopped being some book when we entered it. We just aren't in a book, we're in a whole new world. Not to mention that whatever was written in the book before is probably different now that we've become part of it."

"Well," Miaka pondered. He had a point when she thought about it that way.

"You've become a very important person here Miaka," Matthew added. "This isn't something that can wait. If what Hotohori told us about the priestess coming in times of strife is true then I think it's safe to say that you're going to be needed."

"But what about you?" asked Miaka. "I mean, they only needed one person the take on the role. Just what is your part in all this? Why are you so intent on seeing this through? It's not like you're a priest or anything."

"True," Matthew shrugged. "As to my part? I don't know. Maybe I'm a priest to another country. Maybe I'm one of your celsetial warriors. I might be a celestial warrior to a future priest or priestess that's going to come. Maybe I'm something else or nothing at all. I don't really care to be honest. All I know is that I'm stuck here now so I might as well help out any way I can. It's the least I can do for Hotohori for taking me in."

Miaka frowned as she looked to the ground. She wondered if this was a part of Matthew that Yui and a few other people saw more often than she did. The part that made them defend his good name.

"But what am I going to do about Hotohori?!" Miaka cried with waterfalls coming from her eyes. "I think he actually proposed to me! Tamahome heard the whole thing! Not to mention that Hotohri said he's going to make sure that I'm going to fall in love with him!"

"I know," Matthew nodded. "I heard you and him in his room last night. Oh, be sure to avoid Nuriko for a while. I think she's going to do unmentionable things to you for snagging her man so securely."

"Don't remind me," Miaka sighed sadly. "You're a guy. Can't you give some advice on what I should do? I don't know what I should say to Tamahome or Hotohori."

Matthew sighed as he put his hand to his face and massaged the bridge of his nose. One thing he didn't do often was give out advice since some folks didn't want to hear about it sometimes. It wasn't his fault that he didn't sugar-coat it like others did. For some reason, people didn't like that too much.

"In my professional opinion," Matthew sighed. "You've really stepped in it this time Miaka Yuki."

"Ooooooh!" Miaka groaned loudly.

"Judging from everyone's reactions last night, I'll try to summarize it for you. One: You have a crush on Tamahome. Two: Hotohori has feelings for you. Three: Nuriko hates your guts for holding the emperor's heart which she has been trying to do for the past year. Quite the messed up triangle we have going on. Or is it a square?"

"Does this have a point?" Miaka asked flatly.

"I'm getting there!" Matthew replied indigtantly. "From my guess, Tamahome has seen any possible chance he might have with you all shot to hell. I mean, how many guys can compare to someone of privelege and status like Hotohori?"

"But I don't care about that!" Miaka cried loudly.

"You know that, and I now know that," Matthew answered cooly. "But do you really think that Tamahome knows about that?"

Miaka suddenly gasped as it hit her. Matthew had a huge point. A lot of girls would flock over the chance she had been given to be married to the emperor. Heck, the Seraglio was filled with suitors for Hotohori. Tamahome probably thought she would leap for the chance too.

"Next we come to Hotohori," Matthew continued. "The guy seems to have it bad for you."

"No kidding," Miaka nodded. "I couldn't believe how forward he was."

"Anyhow," Matthew spoke. "It seems that he wants to take a shot at winning your heart despite the feelings that you have for Tamahome. Does he know you don't have feelings for him."

"He knows," Miaka sighed. "But he says he really wants to try. He wants to earn my feelings."

Matthew nodded. "Then let him try. He knows the risks of being shot down and you told him that you don't have feelings for him. We'll see what happens."

Miaka frowned as she rolled the thought around in her head. There was no real way she could discourage Hotohori's advances. She would just have to turn him down. The only problem was that she didn't want to hurt his feelings or even manage to get him to hate her.

"I'd still avoid Nuriko until the two of you can come to some kind of truce," Matthew warned. "She's going to be mad enough to spit nails for a while. Don't want that coming down on your head."

"No kidding," Miaka sighed. "I just wish she could get the message."

"Don't count on it for a while," Matthew smirked. "I personally think she's crazy."

With this said, the two students made their way to where breakfast was being served. They didn't have much to say anymore after all the talking they did beforehand.

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Miaka came from breakfast energized and was now trying to find Tamahome. Matthew had made a lot of sense in some of the things he had said. (Even if she didn't like to admit it.) So far, she couldn't see any trace of the celestial warrior. Nuriko seemed to be everywhere on the other hand. Miaka didn't stick around when she saw her. She liked her head where it was.

Miaka was about to give up for a while when she turned a corner and was faced with none other than Tamahome himself. She held in her gasp of surprise as she mentally prepared herself for the coming confrontation. She knew it was going to get ugly and possibly shed a few tears in the process. Tamahome would just have to voice his opinion about this mess. It was moments like these that seperated the women from the girls. Tamahome stepped closer to her and Miaka prepared herself for whatever he was going to said.

"Yo," Tamahome greeted as he walked stright past her.

'Huh?' Miaka gaped in shock. (She's been saying that a lot huh? ) 'Yo?! That's it? Aren't you even going to mention last night?!'

Instead of blowing up on him like she might have if the situation weren't so tense, Miaka just decided to ask a simple question, "W-where are you going?"

"I came here from the provinces to get some work but I haven't had a chance since I got here," Tamahome replied without stopping. "So I'm gonna head down and try to make some money."

"Then I'll go with you!" Miaka smiled as she tried to follow.

"Why don't you get Nuriko to help you find the other constellations?" Tamahome suggested without looking back.

"N-Nuriko?" Miaka squeaked in fear.

"MI-A-KA!!!!" an enraged voice all but shrieked from behind.

Miaka slowly turned around to see the incredibly pissed off face of Nuriko staring at her. The battle aura that the woman was giving off was incredible. Miaka squeaked in fear as she backed away. It seemed that Nuriko was posessed by her rage.

"'Nothing going on between me and Hotohori,' eh?" Nuriko hissed. "I'll never forgive you!!"

"Nuriko!" a new voice shouted sternly. Both females looked up to see Matthew walking towards them. He looked mildly irritated.

"Would you just calm down already?" Matthew sighed. "Hotohori was the one who came onto Miaka. Not the other way around. Besides, I told you that Miaka has no clue how to flirt, didn't I?"

"Hey!" Miaka shouted indignantly.

"But, she's stealing the one I love from me!" Nuriko sputtered angrily.

"Have you even talked to Hotohori before the day you pulled us from the rubble of that shrine?"

"What?" Nuriko gaped. "Of course I have. What does that have to do with anything?"

"How could you?" Matthew pressed. "He's never been to the Seraglio before and you girls aren't allowed to leave that building aren't you?"

"So?" Nuriko asked, getting nervous.

"Well, if Hotohori has never been there, and you aren't allowed to leave," Matthew reasoned. "Then I think that you haven't been able to make any kind of move on him!"

"Wha-!" both women gasped in shock. One was in surprise but the other had a slight sense of dismayed shock in her voice.

"So how can you really be upset with Miaka when you haven't made a serious attempt for the emperor's notice?" Matthew frowned.

"Uh...Uh...Um," Nuriko sputtered, the pressure beginning to get to her. Matthew just sighed to release some of his agitation.

"All I'm saying is just calm down and stop being mean to Miaka about this," he sighed before walking the same direction as Tamahome. "I'm going to town to make sure Tamahome stays out of trouble. Later."

Nuriko and Miaka watched them go. Both girls looked at each other bin surprise before Nuriko chased after Matthew, trying to get him to let her accompany him. Miaka just watched in shocked silence. It wasn't long before Miaka's determination returned.

"I can't believe how cold Tamahome was to me!" she muttered. "I just wanted to talk. Doesn't he care about me at all? Well, if he's going to be all cold about it then I'll just have to take the initiative.

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Matthew was quickly finding himself a subject of a number of stares. He usually didn't like that much attention and this was no exception. The source of his discomfort this time was none other than Nuriko hanging off his arm like a schoolgirl with her trophy boyfriend. The way she was giggling to match that little personna was not helping. Matthew's face was in Nuriko's words 'the cutest shade of red she had ever seen' because of it. Matthew swore that he was never going to be in arms reach of the woman ever again.

'That is, if I don't kill her for this today,' Matthew groaned inwardly as Nuriko yanked him around to different stores to look at what was for sale.

This processs repeated itself for some time. Each store they went to, Nuriko had some guy hit on her. She acted like an innocent woman before she finished browsing and pulled Matthew to another store. Matthew could feel it in his gut that something just wasn't right but he couldn't for the life of him figure out what it was. It didn't help his mood much when random men would walk up to him and say how lucky he was for getting such a beautiful woman for himself.

'If only they knew,' he sighed inwardly after the thirteith person made his compliments.

He turned to Nuriko, who was enjoying some sweet buns at his expense, "You do know that we are supposed to be looking for Tamahome."

"Oh Tama-baby will be fine," Nuriko giggled. "He can take care of himself. Now come on, there are some more shops I want to check out!"

"This is payback for you isn't it?" Matthew groaned.

The evil giggle Nuriko replied with did not bode well for him. She just continued to pull him along like he was her personal toy. While she was heading for another shop, Matthew noticed something like a riot was going on at the market square. Slipping from Nuriko's vice-like grip, he walked closer to the chaos before he found someone who had just gotten away from it.

"Uh, just what's going on?" he asked the villager.

"Oh, well, this guy showed up and started trying to sell some weird gub(1) stuff," the villager explained. "We thought that he was trying to pull one over on us when he said he got it from the Priestess of Suzaku. When the Priestess actually showed up and said that she gave it to him, we all kinda leaped for it."

"I...see," Matthew nodded while sweatdropping. Tamahome tried to sell something and he flopped at it. What a surprise. Usually he would be involved in a fight like this but since everyone was still concious he must have run with Miaka.

"Hey," Nuriko suddenly spoke up as she latched herself to Matthew's arm again. "Isn't that Tama-baby over there?"

Matthew grimaced from the pain he was feeling from Nuriko's tight grip but he looked over to where she was pointing. He saw people fighting in an alley of some kind and realised that it was Tamahome kicking butt down there.

"I knew he had to be fighting someone by now," Matthew snickered. "Come on, we'd better make sure that Miaka's okay."

The two made their wy past the rioting crowd and closer to where Tamahome was finishing off the last of the goons. Whatever the fight had been about, it must have been serious. Tamahome actually had a cut on his face. His ponytail had also been cut short. The rest of it was lying on the ground near his feet.

"You idiots," he grumbled. "No matter how much you are willing to pay, some things are priceless."

He glanced at Miaka before motioning her to follow him, "Let's go Miaka."

Miaka seemed stunned for a moment before she looked up to Tamahome's retreating form.

"That was a stupid thing to do!" she cried, causing the hidden Nuriko and Matthew the facefault. "Now you can't do business in this town! Why are you doing this for me?! Tell me!"

"It doens't really matter," Tamahome replied cooly.

"It does to me!" Miaka cried, tears collecting in the corners of her eyes. "CAN'T YOU SEE THAT I'M FALLING IN LOVE WITH YOU?!"

A shocked silence had fallen upon the area. Miaka covered her mouth, surprised that she had said something like that. Nuriko and Matthew seemed just as surprised. They couldn't see it, but Tamahome was just as shocked at hearing what Miaka just said. Tamahome took a deep breath before he turned back to look at Miaka.

"I'm sorry," he sighed. "But I can't say that I feel the same way. I'm just protecting you because you're the Priestess of Suzaku."

Matthew swore he could actually hear Miaka's heart break. He felt incredibly sorry for her. That was no way to hear that the one you cared about didn't return the sentiment. Miaka's tears started running down her face when she heard the news.

"We'd better get back to the palace," Tamahome sighed again as he turned to face the street. "His majesty will probably be worried about you by now."

Matthew was about ready to leap out and punch Tamahome's lights out when he heard Miaka's breathing getting harder. He glanced over to the heartbroken girl and saw a flush coming to her face. About a second after that she collapsed. Tamahome turned quickly to see the fall and he his face adopted a look of shock at what he was seeing.

"Miaka!?!" he cried as he dashed for her.

"Oh shit!" Matthew summarized quite nicely before going to join the warrior.

To Be Continued...

A/N: There we go. Chapter seven is finished and is packaged, ready to go. I hope you all enjoyed readibg it as much as I did writing it. This also finishes the first book. I'm also going to started adding some more of my personal twists to the story now that things are going to begin moving. I have a huge one lined up as well. Hope to hear from the reviewers!

(1)I mispelled that on purpose. These people never seen or heard of gum before so of course they would mis-pronounce it a few times.


	8. Chapter 8

I do not own Fushigi yugi or any of the connected characters. Those belong to Yu Watase and not me. Do I really have to put emphasis on that now?

-Ten-Faced Paladin

Fushigi Yugi: Dansei Tsure

By Ten-Faced Paladin

Chapter 8: The Aimless Heart

It was a blur of emotion that everyone was heading as they struggled to bring Miaka back to the palace. The young Priestess of Suzaku had collapsed after being saved from thugs and Tamahome dropped a proverbial boulder on Miaka's heart. Nuriko was the one actually carrying Miaka since she was the strongest. It didn't mean that she liked the job though. Tamahome and Matthew were just keeping up behind her. Matthew kept sending glares at Tamahome the whole way back.

"What happened out there?!" Hotohori demanded as he helped put Miaka to bed and the healer looked her over for her sickness. "Look at how she suffers."

"My apologies your majesty," Tamahome sighed. His wound had already stopped bleeding.

"Now tell me what happened!" Hotohri replied, not caring about the apology. "Your future may depend on your reply!"

Matthew watched Tamahome flinched at the sterness in his voice. It was obvious now that he was feeling guilty about what had happened out there. Matthew was to a certain degree as well, but he had arrived too late in the fight to really make a difference. It didn't make him feel any better about it but it was at least a reason to deal with it.

Tamahome tensed slightly as he gave his reply, "She was surrounded by local thugs so I rescued her. That was all."

'Bullshit!' Matthew roared internally. 'What about the part where you crushed Miaka's heart?'

The healer had finally finished his examination while as he turned to face Hotohori and the others. His grim look did not inspire great hopes, "Your majesty, her eminence is not doing well. She is exhausted both physically and mentally. The stress must have been incredible to do this."

Tamahome flinched visibly at this. He knew that he was probably part of the reason that this was happening to Miaka.

"Can she recover?" Hotohori asked desperately.

"I believe that this condition has been building for a while," the healer replied. "A physical recovery is very much possible.but...a mental one will be much harder. I can't say for sure."

"Dammit!" Matthew cursed as he punched the wall. This small action caused everyone to look at him. They all understood his anger, but didn't feel the need to express anything like it. Matthew looked up and saw Tamahome gazing at him. Matthew then felt his blood boil just by seeing his face. "Tamahome, come with me."

Hotohori didn't try to stop them as Tamahome wordlessly followed Matthew out of the room. The young emperor looked up to see a confused Nuriko. She kept loking back and forth between Hotohori and the doorwhay that the two young men exited from.

"They have their own issues to deal with," Hotohori sighed as he turned his gaze back to Miaka. "Let them do as they will for now."

Matthew walked through the hallways until he came out to the main garden. He then came to a stop somewhere in the middle of the area. Tamahome stopped right behind him. the young martial artist waited for a few moments before he decided to speak.

"Well?" he asked. "Aren't you going to say anything?"

Matthew did reply. It's just that he didn't reply with words. The boy from another world quickly whirled around and planted a hard right into Tamahome's face. Tamahome stubled back with a grunt while clutching his jaw. He would be feeling that one tomorrow.

"This is your fault you know," Matthew replied while taking a deep breath. "You had better apologize or I'm going to do that multiplied by one hundred."

"Duly noted," Tamahome grunted while rubbing his jaw. He slumped as felt the guilt finally breaking out of it's dam and appearing in his eyes. "I didn't want to hurt her like that. I just thought that she'd be happier with the emperor so I just decided to let her down. Besides, no one has come out and confessed to me like that! I had no freaking idea what to do!"

"Two things wrong with that little plan you had there genius," Matthew sighed in annoyance as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. "The first is that your little reply wasn't all that gentle but if what the doc says is true then no matter what you said besides yes might have made Miaka drop like a rock anyway. The second thing is that you never considered how Miaka feels about Hotohori."

"It's obvious to me," Tamahome replied with a frown. "I saw how they were all over each other in Hotohori's room."

"God you are so dense," Matthew growled in frustration. "I talked to Miaka this morning about that. He came onto her. Miaka doesn't want position or money or anything else that being with the emperor can give. She just wanted you."

Tamahome's head jerked up in surprise, "What?"

"Miaka told me that she isn't in love with Hotohori," Matthew replied. "She wanted to be with you! Though, after this little stunt you pulled I might be wrong about that."

Tamahome began to look downcast as the words that were spoken hit home. Matthew shook his head before walking past him towards the stairs that went inside.

"Don't look so down," Matthew replied. "Miaka's a forgiving person so if you just apologize and explain your reasons I'm sure you'll come around. You even got me and Nuriko backing you up."

"Huh?" Tamahome wondered."Nuriko? Why would she want to help Miaka? She hates her."

"Simple," Matthew laughed. "According to her, Hotohori is her man. If you hook up with Miaka then Hotohri is free for Nuriko to snatch for herself."

"Oh yeah," Tamahome realised as he rubbed his jaw again. "You got a pretty mean punch there. A little training and you'd be a real contender."

"Better watcch out then," Matthew smirked. "If I do turn out to be a celestial warrior then you won't know what hit you."

Matthew then walked inside with Tamahome close behind. Both of them were feeling a little better about the situation. At least now Matthew knew why Tamahome did what he did. A moment of sheer stupidity. Tamahome was also feeling a little better too. He now had some friends who could help him with his situation. Even if one of them were only in it for herself. The two of them walked back into the room where Miaka was resting to see Hotohori still there at her bedside. Nuriko was off to the side somewhere with a mix of a scowl and a worried frown on her face. The scowl was for how Hotohri was fawning over Miaka while the frown was for her worries if Miaka was going to be alright. Both celestial warriors idly noticed the slight bruise forming on Tamahome's jaw along with Matthew's raw right hand. They both decided to keep their mouths closed.

"I don't suppose that it's too much to hope for that she's gotten better in the last few minutes?" Matthew asked sarcastically.

"Unfortunately no," Hotohori sighed as he stood up to look at the two young men. "I was about to have someone find you two. Into my chambers. Now."

Nuriko, Matthew, and Tamahome didn't hesitate in following their friend to his room where he sat at his desk. He sighed deeply before resting his head in his hands. He looked rather depressed and his words just made the depression even more apparent. He looked up to his friends before speking to them.

"While you two were out no doubt resolving your issues with each other, Miaka was talking in her sleep about going home," Hotohori explained. "I am also a little concerned about you Matthew. Are you feeling anything like Miaka right now?"

"Nope," Matthew replied with a shake of his head. "I'm feeling as fit now as when I got here. Then again, Miaka's got a lot more pressure riding on her so I guess I would be fine."

"At least that is some good news," Hotohori sighed. "She's only getting worse and I have no idea what to do."

The strain in Hotohori's voice was echoing just how badly this was tearing him up inside. Here he was, the emperor of Hong-Nan, one of the most powerful people in the country, and he couldn't even help someone who was quickly becoming so precious to him. Everyone was very much silent until Nuriko suddenly got an idea.

"Why don't we just send her home?" asked Nuriko. "Briefly anyway. She might get better and then she can come back."

Tamahome flinched visibly. Matthew could tell that this was going to be a problem for him in the future. He had to admit though, sending Miaka back home might be the best solution right now. back home she was at least surrounded by familiar places and people. She had also mentioned that she wanted to smooth things over with her mom.

"That sounds like a good idea," Matthew agreed. "It might be for the best right now."

"I agree," Hotohori nodded. "But how do we find a way back to her world...wait! Tai Yi-Jun!'

"Who?" Matthew asked in confusion.

"Tai Yi-Jun is the one who gave us 'The Universe of the four Gods!'" Hotohori explained. "If anyone knows how to get Miaka back to her own world then it will be her. I am sure of it."

"I suppose that's something," Matthew nodded.

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Matthew waited outside Miaka's room while Hotohori let her know what they were planning. He could also tell that Hotohori was expressing his feelings to Miaka again through his kind words. Matthew had to hand it to the guy, he wasn't afraid to let other people know how he felt about such things. Down the hall, he could see Tamahome and Nuriko arguing about something. The brawny woman had already pitched a table at him before stomping over to the martial artist and began their little argument. Matthew could see the huge goose egg on Tamahome's from where he was standing.

'That had to hurt,' Matthew snickered to himself just as Hotohori stepped into the hallway.

"How is she feeling?" Matthew asked the young emperor.

"She looks better," Hotohori replied with a sigh. "At least she is awake though. We won't have to travel with an unconcious passenger now."

"There is that," Matthew nodded. "Well, I talk to her a little and see if she feels like chatting."

"A good idea," Hotohori nodded. "You are from her world so she might be a little more open with you."

Matthew quietly stepped into the room where he found Miaka sitting up in her bed. She was looking rather depressed. She was holding her knees up to her chest under the cover of her blankets and her head was reasting on her knees. Matthew just closed the door behind him befoe stepping closer.

"You know," he began. "The depressed look doesn't really suit you."

"I can't really help it right now," Miaka sighed before she looked to Matthew. She noticed a somewhat purple bruise that formed on his right hand. "What happened to your hand. Looks nasty."

"Ah, Tamahome and I had a few words concerning what happened," Matthew sighed as he held up his hand and gazed at the bruise. "I guess I hit him harder than thought."

"You and Tamahome had a fight?!" Miaka gasped, some of her hyperactve attitude returnng. "How badly did he kick your butt?"

"Hey," Matthew snorted n amusement. "I'm not that bad of a fighter. Besdes, I think he let me hit him. He probably felt guilty for what he helped do to you."

"He did?" Miaka wondered. "It was my fault in the frst place. I let myself get all worked up about a character in a book. Where does it get me? My heart broken, that's what."

"Oh come on," Matthew sighed while shaking his head. "Tamahome has some reasons for turning you down like he did. Not all of them were particularly good or even smart ones, but he has his reasons. Besides, you've known him for how long? Almost a week? Relationships don't regularly happen that fast. In Hotohori's case it's because he knew what he was lookng for in a woman. With Tamahome, I'm sure it's because of somekind of personal reason."

Matthew was sorely tempted to tell Miaka what Tamahome had told him. The only reason he didn't is because he didn't want to betray whatever trust Tamahome had put n him when he announced those reasons. Another motive for not telling was that he personally believed that it was up to Tamahome himself to let Miaka know those reasons.

"I guess you have a point. Again." Maka pouted while she slouched even deep than before. "Still, it doesn't make it hurt any less."

That was when tears began to creep into Miaka's eyes again. No knowing what else to do, Matthew went by instinct and wrapped his arms around the sepressed girl. Miaka didn't pull back while she just leaned in closer slightly. Matthew had a slightly red hue on his face at this. He wasn't really used to being this close to a girl to be honest.

"I'm sorry if this is a little akward, but..." Matthew tried to say before he was interrupted.

"No, it's okay," Miaka replied. "I like getting hugs. I want to know though, how did you get so smart anyway? I mean, figuring out Nuriko, Helping me think things through this morning. Where did you get it all? Were you a playboy back in the west?"

"What?!" Matthew gaped as he let go of Miaka to see her revealing a small smile on her face. Realising that he had been tricked, Matthew just sighed. "Vey funny."

Miaka just giggled a little. "Your face was priceless."

"Nice to see at least a small smile on your face," Matthew snickered. "Well, if you must know, I just read a lot of books and use my common sense. It's not that hard when you're looking from the outside I guess. What I want to know is how you have so many friends."

"Huh?" Miaka wondered. "What do you mean? Don't you have a lot of friends too?"

"Not really," Matthew shrugged. "You and Yui are pretty much the only two people who talk to me regularly."

"What?" Miaka gaped. "What are you talking about? Lots of girls talk about you and the boys in the class metion your name every now and then. Everyone talks about you."

"Yeah," Matthew nodded. "They talk about me. I said you and Yui were the ones who actually talked to me regularly. I'm by myself most the time if you hadn't noticed."

"Now that's not right," Miaka frowned. "Me and my friends talk to you all the time. I just thought that you were making conversation."

"Nope," Matthew smirked. "Didn't have anyone else to talk to. Oh I'm sure that your friends don't mind me but I don't have a chance to talk to them as much as I do you and Yui. Maybe most people are afraid of me or it's because I'm foreign or something. I'm not entirely sure about that."

"Wow," Miaka breathed. "I thought I was the only one with serious problems."

"Trust me, you aren't," Matthew smiled. "And since I'm in this world with you then I have a pretty good insight on some of the pressures you have. So don't be afraid to talk if you want. I mean, if what's his name...Keisuke, isn't around then I can lend an ear if you want."

"Thanks," Miaka nodded. "I guess you're right. I'm not really alone here am I?"

"Nope," Matthew replied as he stood up. "So chin up kid. You're headng home soon so just relax and take load off. We'll handle everything for you."

Miaka nodded and Matthew left the room. Now Miaka could really tell why Yui was so adamant about him being a good person. It was because he was. she still thought that he was a jerk sometimes becuse of some of the dumb things he says, but he didn't say them to hurt anyone's feelings. He just sad them to lighten the mood. Yui did tell her that he even made the odd comment about himself. Now that she thought about it, Yui never mentioned anything negative about him. Miaka decided to ponde that or the future. Right now, she just wanted to get some rest.

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**Three Days Later...**

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Miaka was walking outsde where the horses were being packed. She was feeling well enough to walk now.Talkning to Matthew had relieved a little bit of the pressure she was feeling anyway. Her fever was still there but she didn't want anyone to worry aboout her so she hadn't told anyone about it. She looked to the side and saw Tamahome and Matthew tying the luggage to the horses. Actually, Tamahome was teaching Matthew how to tie the luggage. When he finished the demonstration, Matthew dropped a few Ryo into Tamahome's hands. Nuriko was off to the side looking pretty and doing absolutely nothing. Hotohori was walking past the horses wth hs advisors close behnd.

"But your majesty," one advsor protested. "We really should send a contingent of guards with you just in case."

"Nonsense," Hotohori smiled as he tightened hs wristbands. "We merely wish to inspect the domain on our own. With Tamahome and Nuriok coming along, we will be completely safe."

"True," another advisor nodded. "but your majesty, no matter how common your garments are, your elegence just cannot be hidden."

"You speak the truth," Hotohori laughed heartilly. "So I will not take that as a compliment."

Miaka just sweatdropped at the exchange. There was so much narcissm in the air, one could cut it with a knife. Deciding that she needed to vacate immediately, Maka headed over to the horses to check her things.Unfortunately, she forgot that Tamahome was there and when the young man in question turned to look at her, they both froze in their spots. They were both utterly quiet as they sweatdropped nervously. Finally, the mood was too much to handle and Miaka quickly dashed away. Tamahome just turned around and went back to the luggage, cursing himself for not being able to say anything.

"Smooth move," Matthew remarked from his horse. "You might just get somewhere in about ten years of you keep that up."

"Shut up!" Tamahome snapped. "This is harder than it looks!"

"I'm sure it is," Matthew nodded. "We have the whole trip ahead of us so you have plenty of time to apologize. Just don't screw it up. Otherwise I'll just have to hit you again."

"You can try," Tamahome smirked.

Matthew laughed as he returned to his horse. Soon everyone was gettng their things and mounting up. Hotohori gave his parting words to hs advisors and ministers before the small group set out twoards where they would find Tai Yi-Jun. Miaka had decided to ride with Hotohori, but she was wearing a cloak so no one in the city would recognize her and cause a riot. Tamahome, Nuriko, and Matthew had all managed to get their own horses to ride on. Not that nuriko didn't try to share with the emperor. She was sendng glares at Miaka every now and then. Tamahome was just riding alongside Hotohori and Miaka without saying a word. Miaka had tried to make some conversation with bad jokes but those weren't working out.

"Those two are pathetic," Matthew sghed.

"You're telling me," Nuriko growled. "At this rate they'll never get together and I'll never get my precious Hotohori!"

Things just continued on uncomfortably. The only one didn't seem to notice this was Hotohori. Matthew figured the guy either had a selective attention span or he really was oblivious to that sort of thing. When the sun was finally settng, it was a unanimous decision to camp out at a clearing that was just up ahead. matthew sighed in relief as he slipped off his horse to sooth hs saddle sores. He was about to reach for his bed roll when he was yanked to the side by Nuriko.

"Ow!" Matthew snapped. "What is it?! You almost snapped my arm off!"

"Quiet!" Nuriko hissed. "I have the perfect ploy to get Tamahome and Miaka back together again!"

"Oh I can't wait to hear this," Matthew grumbled.

"It's so simple!" Nuriko insisted. "There's a small sprin nearby. I found it when I was exploring the area. I can just tell Miaka that she can take a bath there and shoow her the way. After that, it's just a simple matter of getting Tamahome to check on her and he'll no doubt see all the wonderful female qualities Miaka has to offer. The he will just have to answer his manly calliings and take advantage of her. To her delight of course. It's genius!"

Matthew just stared at Nuriko like she had just grown a second head, "That has got to be one of the most perverted ideas I have ever heard. Just what makes you so sure that Tamahome will actually do that? I mean, he's not exactly the churning hormones type."

"Oh, he will," Nuriko grinned. "His feeelings for Miaka will show him the way."

"Whatever," Matthew sighed. "I'm just going to get some sleep. If I find Tamahome's dead body tomorrow then I'll know your little plot failed."

Matthew then returned to his luggage and got his bedroll. He unrolled it and set it down by the tre where Tamahome and Hotohori were already resting. Laying back, he watched Nuriko walk over to Miaka and feed her this bit aboout the spring. Apparently Nuriko had made up this marvellous lie about the sprngs having magic healing powers or some load of baloney. Miaka actually bought it hook, line, and sinker. Matthew just snroted as he watched Miaka go. After a few moments, Nuriko walked over to the boys and grabbbed Tamahome by the leg and dragged him off in the direction miaka had went. hotohori, who wasn't actually sleeping, opened his eye to see them go.

"What was that about I wonder?" he spoke out loud.

"A bad idea in action," Matthew replied. "We'll no doubt hear about this later."

"You sound as if you know what is about to happen," Hotohori pointed out.

"It's just another plot cooked up by Nuriko," Matthew sighed. "I wouldn't worry about it too much. It's just a way for Tamahome and Miaka to get over the tension that they have been feeling around each other."

"I had notced that," Hotohori noddeed. "I was hoping that they would resolve it on their own but I guess they needed a push in the right direction after all."

"I guess they did," Matthew agreed. "Tamahome's been feelng pretty depressed about it himself. Blames himself for what happened to Miaka back in the city. I personally don't think he should shoulder all the blame,but it's nce to know he's a decent guy under all the money-grubby attitude of his."

"Hmm," Hotohori nodded.

Suddenly, there was a high pitched scream that cut through the night before a loud splash quickly followed. Hotohori grabbed his sword while Matthew stood up. The two young men dashed in the direction that they heard the scream. Trees whizzed past them as they both feared the worst for the person who made that scream. It was no doubt Miaka. They both continued on until they met up with Tamahome. What was curious about this little encounter was that he was soaking wet.

"Tamahome!" Hotohori called. "Is Miaka alright?"

"She's fine," Tamahome replied. "Just had a scare wth a floating log. She somehow thought of it as a snake."

Matthew couldn't help but notice that Tamahome was showing some of his old attitude again. The foreigner could guess that he had probably made up with Miaka at long last.

"Then why are you wet?" Hotohori asked sternly.

This was when Tamahome becomae evasive, "Uh...funny thing there. In the midst of the screaming and pounding logs, I sorta found out that the log was in the middle of the pool. When I attacked it, I sorta fell in."

Hotohori seemed satisifed as he put hs sword back into it's sheathe. Matthew could see Tamahome's blushing face and he smirked. The red face could be counted towards embarassment about fallng in the pool, but Matthew could teell that it was somethng else. Letting Hotohori go on ahead, Matthew hung back with Tamahome.

"You saw Miaka naked didn't you?" Matthew asked out of the blue.

"What?! No!" Tamahome denied vehemently, his face turnng crimson. "Well, maybe a little."

"Thought so," Matthew laughed as he and the celestial warrior began walking back to camp. "More importantly though, did you manage to apologze for being such a moron?"

"I wasn't being a moron," Tamahome replied. "And yeah, I did. You were right. She is a forgiving person."

Matthew nodded as they both got back to the campsite. They both took ther sleeping spots back and just waited for the two women to return. It wasn't much of a long wait in all honesty. Nuriko and Miaka returned in good time. Nuriko looked a little nervous about something while Miaka looked like she had just caught her brother with his girlfriend or something. Matthew really didn't care at ths point. He was too tired for that. Whatever it was could just wait until morning.

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While the warriors slept, their progress was being watched. The figure gazed at them all curiously.

"So, the priestess of Suzaku wishes to find Tai Yi-Jun does she? Well, you will not be arriving so easily!"

Thus, the figure began to plot. A few ideas had come but the figures gaze had lingered on Matthew for a moment. He was so far, unpredictable. He seemed to have a cool head and looked like he may be able to handle himself in a battle. The other warriors were easy enough to peg in their abilities but this wide-eyed boy was a bit more of a mystery. No doubt his role would become more apparent with time. Likewise wth his skill. Only time would tell.

To Be Continued.

A/N: Chapter 8 is up and ready to rock. Hope you all like this one. I thought I could use this one to give a little more insight into Matthew himself. well, the trip to Tai Yi-Jun is underway and already thngs are going crazy. Nuriko plotting, Tamahome being stubborn, and Matthew just watchng the chaos unfold while Hotohori is somewhat oblivious to it all. Miaka is going to have her hands full.


	9. Chapter 9

I do not own Fushigi Yugi or any of the connected characters. Those belong to Yu Watase and not me. I am only writing this fic for fun and I am not getting paid to do it. I wish I was but there really isn't anything I can do about that at the moment.

-Ten-Faced Paladin

Fushigi Yugi: Dansei Tsure

By Ten-Faced Paladin

Chapter 9: A Dark Invatation

With things being somewhat better between Tamahome and Miaka, the trip became much more bearable. Tamahome and Miaka were talking to each other anyway. Matthew found some peace for a change but Nuriko was acting strange. Actually, she was acting stranger than usual. It was like she was nervous about Matthew and the others were going to find out something about her.

'Maybe it's that time of the month for her,' Matthew shrugged inwardly.

Hotohori was at the front of the group as usual and riding with Miaka. Tamahome was right next to them with Matthew right behind and Nuriko beside him. Matthew just continued to watch Nuriko sweatdrop about something. Finally, he got fed up with her being shifty and just decided to ask her.

"Nuriko, are you alright?" he asked in concern.

"Ah Matthew, I'm just fine!" Nuriko smiled brightly. "Whatever gave you the idea that something is wrong?"

"Well," Matthew reasoned. "It's just that ever since you came back from that spring with Miaka, you've been kind of on edge about something. Did something happen?"

"N-nothing happened!" Nuriko replied quickly. "I'm just not used to all this travelling. You never know when bandits could come out of nowhere!"

"Uh...okay," Matthew blinked. "I suppose that's a good reason."

The group just continued to travel on until they Hotohori spied a tavern in the distance. That was all the incentive the others needed to keep moving. A good meal to eat always sounded good to those who were on the road. With Hotohori footing the bill, it was even more reason to eat their fill. Everyone did just that but Miaka seemed to be herself for the moment when she got her food. It all vanished in close to a blink of an eye. After she had finished pigging out, she just sighed and lay her head on the table.

"Geez, I'm exhausted," she sighed. "When are we going to get to Daichi-San Mountain and meet Tai Yi-Jun anyway? I'm so exhausted I'm not even hungry!"

"Liar!" Tamahome shouted. "You scarfed down everything on the table! That's money going down your throat!"

"Easy Tamahome," Said Nuriko, trying to calm him down. "She's more or less still sick."

"Oh she is," Matthew smiled. "She only ate three servings. I've seen her eat way more than that."

Tamahome sighed as he shook his head. He then stood up and went to haggle the price of the food. Even if he wasn't paying for it, he still wanted it to be as cheap as he could possibly make it. Miaka just seemed content to start licking one of her plates that still had some bits of food left on it.

"Hey, what happened to Hotohori anyway?" she wondered.

"Oh! You mean he's gone?" Nuriko gasped.

"I think he's outside somewhere," Matthew answered. "He might be checking on horses or something."

Miaka nodded before setting the plate down and headed out the door. Nuriko started getting in a huff about Miaka getting close to Hotohori again. Matthew just sighed while trying to calm the irate constellation of Suzaku down. Tamahome had glance at Miaka's departure from the corner of his eye and frowned slightly.

Miaka stepped outside and breathed adeep breath of air. When she stopped to think of it, the air of the countryside was very clean. No car exhaust or anything like that. Just clean and clear air. Glancing over to the edge of the hill which the tavern was situated on, she spied Hotohori sitting there just looking out into the distance.

"Hotohori!" Miaka called as she stepped closer. "What are you doing out here? Did you find a really good food cart?"

"Hmmm?" Hotohori answered as he looked back to Miaka before turning back to the scenery. "No. I simply do not get the leisure to admire the landscape around me."

"Always busy at the palace huh?" Miaka smiled as she sat next to him. At a slight nod, she continued. "I can relate. All I did before I came here was go to school and cram courses day and night! My mom wanted it for me but it was so hard."

Hotohori glanced at Miaka, obviously admiring her beauty before replying, "Your mother hmm? I had only inherited the throne at fourteen after my father passed away. The power struggle was horrendous. My mother was extremely ambitous and...well, to say it simply, my mother made sure that I became emperor."

Hotohori looked up to the scenery, his eyes lost in some kind of old memeory, "I suppose you could say I was her puppet, but she then passed away and my entire world became virtually silent. I was surrounded by loyal retainers--my own people. Even so, I still learned how terribly lonely true solitude was. I was like a bird in a cage really."

"But you can still pick up and take off!" Miaka argued cheerfully. "Just like you are now. So come on, you're still young!"

Hotohori blinked for a moment, surprised by Miaka's sudden optimism. He found himself unable to stay down and he also broke out into a smile. He then calmly reached out and wrapped his arm around Miaka's shoulder before he brought her closer to lean on his shoulder. Miaka herself started blushing up a storm. Over and over she had begun to mentally tell herself to keep calm.

"You're so good to me," he smiled. "Your'e so cheerful. So free. So warm. I wish that we could remain this way forever."

Sadly, Hotohori's wish was not meant to be granted. A large screeching batle cry was heard before sounds of scuffling were also heard. Hotohori and Miaka looked behind them and saw what seemed to be some kind of battle going on. Nuriko was holding a large dead tree above her head with the look of murder in her eyes. Tamahome was gripping her from behind while Matthew was pushing her back from the front.

"Let me go Matthew! Tamahome!" Nuriko cried angrily.

"Not until you promise not to crush Miaka!" Matthew shouted back.

"And would you put that tree down?" Tamahome snapped. "You're gonna hurt someone with that!"

"That's the idea!" Nuriko hissed.

Hotohori and Miaka both blinked in surprise at this unfolding drama. Miaka gulped as she realised that the tree Nuriko was waving around had her name on it. Hotohori just blinked for a second time before he finally spoke up.

"I wonder what Nuriko's so upset about," he pondered out loud, causing Miaka to facefault.

----------------------------------------------------

Within an unknown location, someone had been watching over the friend's journey. This person was amused by their antics as there seemed to be some dissention within the ranks. This same person had decided that a little test was in order. Pointing to a round mirror that had been set to the side, it floated into the air a few inches before it spun at high speeds before it vanished.

"There," the figure smiled. "Let's see if they can handle this little test."

----------------------------------------------------

After Nuriko had calmed down and Hotohori had payed for the meals (despite Tamahome's negotiations,) the group had continued on. Hotohori again took the lead with Miaka while Tamahome and Matthew remained in the middle directly between Miaka and Nuriko. While they were riding their steeds, Matthew had kept absently rubbing the side of his face. Finally, Tamahome had gotten sick of him doing that so he decided to confront him about it.

"Okay, why do you keep doing that?" he asked. "It's annoying."

"Thinking," Matthew replied. "You'll think I'm a perv if I explain though."

"Might as well," Tamahome sighed. "Nothing much else to do."

"Fine," Matthew sighed. "When we were restraining Nuriko from killing Miaka, let's just say that the side of my face entered an area forbidden to just any man out there."

"Oh really?" Tamahome smirked, glad to have some material to tease the foreign boy with. "So how was it?"

"Surprisingly non-existant." Matthew replied absently. "If I didn't know better I thought it was the chest of a ma-"

This was all Matthew could get out before a rock the size of a football struck him in the back of his head. With a loud grunt, he fell from with horse while massaging the giant goose egg that was swelling on his head. He looked up to see Nuriko dusting off her hands while a stress vein had appeaared on her forehead.

"That's what you get for mocking my breast size you pervert!" she huffed indignantly. No one noticed that she had a nervous sweatdrop on the back of her head.

This was about when Hotohori decided they should rest for a while. Matthew tied his horse to a tree before sitting down so he could get his thoughts, and brain matter, back into place. Nuriko drifted near Hotohori so she could bask in his presence. Tamahome leaned back on a tree to relax as Miaka yawned before stretching.

"Who knew going on a journey would be so tiring?" she yawned.

"Try going on a flight from Toronto to Osaka before transfering to a flight for Tokyo," Matthew groaned. "Those flights are exhausting and incredibly long. I thought I would never land."

"Flight?" asked Hotohori in amazement. "You mean you can fly in your world?!"

"Sort of," Matthew replied. "We have what I suppose you could call metal birds which can carry us over long distances."

"Amazing!" Hotohori exclaimed."Your world must be truly marvelous!"

Matthew shrugged before he noticed Miaka was walking, trying to get some feeling back into her legs. Tamahome was trying to chastise her for moving around so much. They had just continued on and stepped a bit deeper into the forest. Matthew shrugged as he turned his attention back to the swollen bump that was on the back of his head.

'Tamahome's taking care of Miaka,' he thought to himself. 'Maybe this will be Miaka's chance to get closer. Oooh, my head. Next time I'll just keep my big mouth shut no matter who asks!'

Matthew's attention was again caught by something when he heard a sharp slap followed by Miaka's voice of, "I hate you!"

Hotohori was looking around, as if he was seeing something darting all around, "Do you think something is odd, Nuriko?"

Nuriko immediately leaped to his side with the cutest look she could muster and sparkles glittering around her, "Not at all! I think we're made for each other!"

"That's not what I was referring to," Hotohori sweatdropped. He then looked around at the white fog that was rolling in. "This fog. This much at noon is unnatural."

"Hmm," Nuriko pondered. "That's true. I get the feeling we passed this clearing before."

Matthew aslo looked to the white mist that had rolled in. His eyes narrowed as he watched it move, "This wasn't here a minute ago. Your majesty is right about it not being natural, but I'm getting a bad feeling about this."

Further speculation was halted when Tamahome came running into the clearing. The right side of his face looked a little swollen and a dribble of blood was on his nose. Matthew immediately recognised it as the work of Miaka's right hand.

'He said something stupid again,' Matthew sighed inwardly. 'How dumb can one guy be?'

"Tamahome! Where's Miaka?" Hotohori immediately asked.

"I lost her!" Tamahome replied.

"Again?!" Matthew gaped.

------------------------------------------------------------------

In the depths of the fog, Miaka was walking along in a depression. After she had went into the forest with Tamahome, she had tripped and accidentally flashed him. She got mad at him for looking before he made an awful comment about her lack of sexual appeal. That was when she promptly belted him and took off.

'Why is Tamahome so mean sometimes?' she asked herself. 'Hotohori is so much nicer to me. Heck, even Matthew is nicer to me than him.'

It was around this time that Miaka finally decided to check her surroundings. She only saw fog, trees, and more trees. There wasn't anything, or anyone, else in sight.

"Hey, where is everyone?" she asked out loud.

She was about to begin her search when something else demanded her immediate attention. There was a smell that was wafting through the air. A very unique smell. One that her bloodhound senses could pick up a mile away. This smell drove every thought other than itself stright out of Miaka's mind.

"What an amazing arouma!" she gasped to herself. "Filet Mignon, Vegtable Consomme soup, tuna salad, spagetti, and blueberry sherbert ice cream! It's heavenly! I must find it!"

With that, Miaka was off and running again. This time she was searching for the meal of her dreams. She blew past trees and shrubs as she followed the scent, forgetting that she even had a fever or any kind of malady. After only a minute of searching, she had found a table with a pure white tablecloth decorating it and a full course meal with all the foods she had smelled all set out and waitinng for her.

"I knew it was here!" she cheered. "Wahoo!"

Miaka dashed towards the table, but as she got closer, she felt as if she had went through a wierd liquid of some kind. Looking up, she found herself in a dark room with the table and a circular gateway leading back to the forest.

"Huh?" Miaka gaped as she turned to see the doorway. "Hey, what is this?!"

"Welcome, Miaka, to the other side of the mirror," a new voice replied.

Miaka turned around andfound herself facing...herself. A complete copy. The copy Miaka was standing with a smirk on her face and her arms crossed. The regular Miaka could only stare in shock at herself.

"Wh-what are you?" Miaka managed to stutter out.

"Me?" the double asked."Why I'm you. I'm the reflection in the mirror!"

"Huh?" Miaka gaped. "But...if you're me...then I'm you...oh my head hurts."

The meeting of the minds was cut short when Tamahome's voice could be heard calling from the wilderness. It was like a beacon of hope for Miaka.

"Tamahome!" Miaka cried in joy before she found herself stepped on like a rug by her double.

"You're in my way," the double simply shrugged as she began stepping through the gate. "Eat to your heart's content."

Miaka shook in anger as she beagn to stand up. She looked to the gate and saw the double actually dolling herself up. Where she pulled the small make-up case from, Miaka had no idea. Miaka didn't care about that at the moment. She just cared that a copy of her was outside the mirror while she was trapped inside.

"Hey! Let me out!" Miaka demanded.

"I don't think so!" the double chirped as she applied some lipstick. "You know, I really much prefer Hotohori over Tamahome. He's just so much nicer to me."

"What?!" Miaka shriekd at the top of her lungs.

"But then again," the double pondered as she got a dreamy smile on her face. "Matthew's pretty hunky in his own way. I might just have to go after him!"

"What?!" Miaka shrieked indignatly while forgetting the situation. "He is not! Why would you want to go after him?!"

"Because he is just so gentle," the double teased with a playful sigh. "He stood by me when all my problems were piling up. He was sooooo warm when he held me in the palace. 'Sigh' They do say that foreigners make the best partners. Too bad I might be stealing him from Yui."

"Huh?" Miaka gaped, now utterly confused.

"Anyway, there's no way that I'm going back home!" the double continued with a smirk. "Who'd want to go back to all those tests and cram school?"

The double just slung the mirror over her shoulder before speaking again, "Now it's your turn to become my image and watch from inside the mirror."

"Wait!" Miaka cried as she slammed against her prison wall. "Let me out!"

-No one can hear you or see you out there,- a mysterious voice spoke from within the prison. -Just try to break my spell Miaka. If you really are the Priestess of Suzaku, that it.-

"Who's there?!" Miaka shouted as she turned around. Her eyes only saw the walls of her prison and the table filled with all the food thhat had lured her there. After a moment of thinking, she attacked the dinner and gobbled up every bite there was to be had. When she was finished, her attention turned back to the matter at had, "Okay! Who's there? Who are you?"

The owner of the voice just sweatdropped at Miaka's display. Didn't anything ruin this girl's appetite?

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Outside the mirror, he double had gotten her act together and walked to join the others. She stepped into the clearing Where Matthew, Nuriko, Tamahome, and Hotohori were calling for her. It was Tamahome who first noticed her stepping closer.

"Miaka!" he gasped as he saw the double come closer. 'Where were you?!"

"Well..I just found this neat mirror," the double smiled as she stepped closer. "Were you worried about me?"

"N-not really," Tamahome gulped, but he was mentally asking himself just what was up with Miaka. She was acting cheerful for almost no reason. She even looked healtheier for some reason. Meanwhile, Miaka was pounding againster her prison wall again while shrieking at the double to keep away from Tamahome.

Hotohori chose this moment to enter the conversation. He was smiling brightly as he got closer, "I'm relieved that you are unharmed.

The double immediately smiled as she leaped into Hothori's arms and smiled brightly, "Yep! I'm sorry darling!"

This little declaration made everyone reel in shock. Hotohori was utterly confused with the change in attitude. Tamahome thought a part of him was stolen quite suddenly. Matthew was just as confused as Hotohori, if not more so. Nuriko just started getting angry again.

"Miaka!" she shrieked. "How dare you!"

"What is your problem Nuriko?" the double frowned. "Why don't you just give up on Hotohori already? I mean, you are a man after all!"

Everything had gone completely silent in the clearing. Matthew, Tamahome, and Hotohori were staring with wide eyes at their companion who, up until now had been thought as a woman. Now the truth was out and it was much deeper and darke than any of them had imagined.

"A m--a m-- a man!!" Tamahome cried while pointing at Nuriko, rememberign the kiss he got from her...him, and was beginning to feel ill.

"This explains so much," Matthew gaped. "But it leaves so many more questions."

"That...that's impossible!" Hotohori cried, the narcistic portion of his mind crying that he was the only man who could be that pretty.

Nuriko could only gape in shock. His secret was blown and there was nothing he could do now. With nothing left to hide, Nuriko did what he knew how to do best.

"Arrrgh!" he cried while storming into the woods while punching down trees. "How could you?! You sold me out!"

Actually, he was selling himself out but that was beside the point. Miaka gulped as she saw the rage that Nuriko had left in.

'Everything will fall apart at this rate!' Miaka cried mentally as she slammed against the prison wall. 'Why can't anyone see the truth?'

Back with the others, the double was continuing with her plan to ensnare Hotohori. She had already drew in closer while wrapping her arms around his torso so that she could snuggle with him. She was acting all cutsey and giggling to boot.

"Forget that loser," she smiled. "Why don't you come to me Hotohori?"

"This isn't..." Hotohori tried to protest before he was cut off.

Tamahome was just frowning at the display. He was about to turn to leave when Matthew caught his shoulder. He turned to the foreigner to see that he was peering at Miaka through narrowed eyes. Matthew looked at Tamahome before he leaned closer.

"This isn't Miaka," he whispered in Tamahome's ear.

"What?" Tamahome whispered back.

"This isn't anything like the Miaka I know," Matthew explained. "I think Miaka knew Nuriko's secret for a while and if I know anything about her at all, it's that she keeps a secret no matter what. This is either a convincing look-alike, or something happened to Miaka to make her aact this way and I don't mean something you said."

Tamahome's eyes widened before he turned his gaze back to the double. His eyes landed on the mirror she was carrying. It was the only thing that had changed.

"That mirror," Tamahome whispered to Matthew. "That might be the cause."

"A good guess," Matthew agreed. "But we'll have to get whoever this is off of Hotohori before we can tell him."

Tamahome nodded before the two young men began wattching for any kind of foul play. Inside the mirror, Miaka had seen Matthew and Tamahome whispering to each other while the double was flirting with all her might with Hotohori. Hope began to well in her chest that someone was finally beginning to notice somethign was off. The double just pressed on in her advances.

"You love me right?" she asked as she gazed into Hotohori's eyes. "Well I've fallen in love with you. If you desire me, then take me!"

The double then began to lean in closer for a kiss. Inside the mirror, Miaka began pounding against the wall again.

"Nooo!" she cried. "That isn't me!! Tamahome! Hotohori! Matthew!"

-------------------------------------------------

-Get me out of here!-

Yui stopped dead in her tracks as she heard Miaka's voice. She had been searching all night for her friend and nothing had come up. She had immediately thought that she had gone to the library but there was no trace of her. She even went to Matthew's apartment to see if she was there. The result was the same of the library. Miaka's older brother Keisuke had already gone home but Yui just didn't want to give up. She hadn't found anything until now when she heard Miaka's voice.

"Miaka?!" she gasped.

That was all the incentive for Yui to head right back to the library. She broke into a run as she headed for the building that she was just walking away from.

'That was her voice! I know it!' she thought to herself. 'I knew that she was in the library!'

She saw the library coming closer and she immediately cliombed over the fence once she got close enough. Seeing the stairs, she ran for them so she could get inside. She was just so worried for Miaka and wanted to know that she was okay. She also wanted to know if Matthew was with her or not. If he wasn't then she wanted to at least knwo that he was okay too. However,her progress was halted when a flashlight fell on her.

"Hey!" the guard who held the flashlight called. "Who are you?"

"Uh-oh!" Yui gulped.

------------------------------------------------

The double of Miaka was about to claim the lips of the young emperor when the sound of metal scraping against metal caught her attention. She drew back quickly when she saw that Hotohori had drawn his sowrd against her.

"Now," Hotohori frowned. "Just who are you? You are nothing like the Miaka I know!"

The double took a few more steps befor elaughing. She had unstrapped the mirror from her side as she did so.

"Matthew! Tamahome! Prepare yourselves!" Hotohori ordered.

"Where's Miaka!" Tamahome demanded.

"If you tell us now we'll make it nice and quick!" Matthew growled.

The double just continued to laugh as she crossed her arms.

"I'm the very image of Miaka," the double finally spoke. "I am her! I also doubt that this merry little band of misfits can even make it to see Tai Yi-Jun!"

The words spoken made the men frown with anger, but they struck a deep chord with Miaka. Suddenly, everything that she ahd learned of her double had begun to make sense. The truth though, was not something she was proud of.

"She is me," she said to herself sadly. "Everything she says is what I've thought. I'm the one who has these horrible feelings deep inside of me."

Outside of the mirror, things were heating up. Each of the men were getting angry with what the double was saying to them. Both was the insult to them, and her claims that she was Miaka.

"Don't be absurd!" Hotohori shouted as he charged with his sword with Matthew and Tamahome taking up the rear.

The double just smirked before she raised her mirror to the three who were attacking her. The glass glowed a bright white before bolts of energy crackled out of it. The three boys were caught by surprise so thay couldn't dodge the attack in time.

"The hell?!" Matthew groaned.

"M-my strength..." Hotohori tried to speak.

"Getting weaker," Tamahome moaned.

The double just watched in satisfaction as all three of her attackers fell to the ground, struggling to keep themselves up.

"Yoour Miaka is on the other side of this mirror," she smiled. "The constellations would give their lives to protect her.As would a true friend. I think it makes sense that I should take your stength. I am Miaka after all."

"Stop it!" Miaka cried from within her prison. She wasn't sure if she could watch this.

Matthew, Tamahome, and Hotohori were all just slightly above the ground, suspended by their elbows. Their strenght was leaving fast and things looked grim. At the double's announcement, Matthew looked up at her with an almost feral look on his face. The double had also gasped when she saw that his eyes had turned a golden color.

"You? Miaka?" he growled with some strain. "BULLSHIT!"

Matthew dug his feet into the ground and managed to get some momentum before he mad a fyling leap at the double. The girl was completely shocked by this assault and had left her defence wide open. That was all Matthew needed when he wrapped his arms around her and held the double in a large bear hug. This blocked the mirror from projecting it's effect and thus stopped it from harming Tamahome and Hotohori.

"Gotcha!" he grimaced, the edge of the mirror digging into his skin.

"I'm still draining your energy fool!" the double smirked. "What were you hoping to accomplish?"

"Simple," Matthew grinned, even if his knees were getting significantly weaker. "THIS!"

Matthew drew back his head and smashed it against the double's in a large headbut. With all his weakness due to the mirror, it didn't hold much power. It did however, hold enough force to send the double into a dizzy spin when Matthew finally let her go. She stumbled back and tried to get her bearings while dealing with the pain in her skull. While she did so, Tamahome and Hotohori were beginning to get their strength back.

Inside the mirror prison, Miaka was just as dazed as her double. She had felt the same impact from the headbutt as her double did. She was on her back, sprawled on the ground with swirly eyes and a goose egg forming on her forehead.

"Oog!" she graoned. "He can sure hit hard when he wants to."

Slowly getting up. she looked to see Matthew on his own two feet, albiet shaky, while Hotohori and Tamahome were slowly getting to theirs. She did notice Matthew's golden eyes, but she didn't think this was the time for looking into such things. She did however notice that when her double had gotten hit, she had felt the pain in her prison.

"Hey!" Miaka gasped. "She's me right?"

Turning back to the table, Miaka grabbed the larges plate she could find and shattered it. Looking around the pieces, she also grabbed the biggest shard there.

"If she is me," miaka breathed while pinting the sharp end at herself. "Then to get rid of her, I'll have to get rid of myself!"

With that, Miaka thrust the piece towards her, where the sharp shard pierced her skin dangerously close to her heart.

To Be Continued...

A/N: Chapter nine is up and ready folks. I've left it here at a cliffhanger and you'll have to wait until the next update. Now Nuriko's cover is blown, but we also begin to see a side of Matthew that probably does not see the light of day very often. Is he even aware of it? Will it cause problems in the future? We'll just have to wait and see.


	10. Chapter 10

I do not own Fushigi Yugi or any of the connected characters. Those belong to Yu Watase and not me. The only thing I own is Matthew so there you go. Enjoy the fic.

Fushigi Yugi: Dansei Tsure

By Ten-Faced Paladin

Chapter 10: Awakening Memories

Yui stood in stunned silence as the liabrary guard had the flashlight trained on her. She had come to the place looking for Yui and Matthew but all she really did find was this guard who had spotted her.

"The library's closed miss," the guard spoke as he stepped closer. "Go home!"

"My friends are in there!" Yui protested. "Let go!"

The guard didn't seem to hear her as he gripped her wrist. Yui tried to get out of his grip but it was proving to be too strong. The guard just continued to pull Yui down the stairs in attempts to get her off the premisis. Yui was just as determined to get away from the man so she could continue looking for her friends. Feeling her temper boiling up, Yui decided that just this once she would let it get the better of her. It was for a worthy cause after all.

"I said LET GO!" Yui shrieked as she landed a kick to the guard's jaw, sending him sprawling down the stairs and crashing to the ground.

Yui didn't hesitate to begin racing up the stairs towards the doors. With every step closer she took she was hoping more and more to find her friends. However, she suddenly felt a sudden jerk in her chest and a warmth spreading from it. Looking down, she saw a spreading red stain over her heart. She gasped in surprise on for the stain to spurt blodd slightly more before pain tore through her body which caused her to drop to her knees. The guard, who had already stood up at the point had gasped loudly at what he had seen.

"Whaaaagh!" he cried before turning tail and running like the wind. "I didn't do nuthin!"

As he was running, he didn't notice that he had dropped his keys. Fortunately, Yui did. Dragging herself over to the keys, she plucked them off the ground and struggled to her feet. Leaning on the rails, she managed to get herself over to the doors.

"Miaka..Matthew," she gasped, short of breath. "What's happening?"

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Miaka gasped and wheezed inside her prison, clutching her wounded chest. She had stabbed herself with a shard of a plate in hopes that it would also hurt her mirror double which was attacking her friends. She had gotten the idea when Matthew had given the double a very hard headbutt which sent both of the into a daze. She had managed to glance at Matthew before his body had covered the only view she had. His eyes had a golden hue to them. How did that happen? Was he always able to do that? It didn't really matter at the moment though. Right now she just wanted that double of hers to vanish.

'_Disappear!_' she cried in her thoughts.

Outside the mirror, the double was recovering from the attack. Her face was etched in a furious frown. She gripped the edges of her mirror with a fierce determination.

"How dare you hit me-URK!" the double shrieked before she started gagging as a deep gash appeared on her chest while blood came our of her mouth. The shock of it happening caused her to drop the mirror, cracking it as it hit the ground.

The magic surrounding the double was no doubt connected to that mirror because when that crack touched it's surface, the double bagn to twist and deform, beginning to look like a black-skinned demonic version of Miaka. Blood was still spurting from her chest as she hissed and roared like a savage animal.

His golden eyes flashing, Matthew pressed his attack with a powerful haymaker to the creature's face. It shrieked in pain as it stumbled backwards, but Matthew didn't get away unscathed. The creatures teeth were as sharp as butcher knives and left several cuts along his right arm. He winced from the pain and dashed to the side. The double looked up with hazy vision only too see Tamahome, recovering from the energy draining attack, come flying at it with a flying kick to the gut. The blow knocked the wind out of the double and made it double over in pain. Tamahome then flipped away from his opponent, but not before the double retalliated by slashing Tamahome's arms, making a deep gouge. That is when Hotohori got his licks in with his sword in a flurry of strikes that were almost invisible to the naked eye. He came to a stop a short distance behind the double as slash marks appeared all over it's body.

The three fighters turned to face their opponent, in all her bleeding and hissing glory, before a large boulder seemingly fell from the sky and crushed her in a haze of black smoke.

"Woah!" Matthew gasped, his eyes fading back to their original blue color. "I guess the gods really do help out now and then."

"Actually, that was me," a familiar voice spoke from a small ledge above them.

"Nuriko!" Hotohori gasped as he and the others looked up to see the cross-dresser slapping his hands together to brush off the dust.

Taking a look over to his allies, Hotohori's eyes widened as he witnessed their injuries, "Tamahome! Matthew! Are you two alright?" Matthew was standing shakily on his feet while Tamahome was kneeling on the ground taking deep breaths.

"Nothing that I can't bounce back from," Matthew smiled, grimiacing slightly as he held his bleeding hand.

"I'm fine your majesty," Tamahome smiled. "You handle a sword well."

"And you are a good fighter," Hotohori replied in kind as he helped Tamahome to his feet.

Nuriko shook his head as he turned to look at their priestess after coming off the ledge. His eyes widened significantly as he found her. She was sprawled out on the ground next to the broken mirror with her hands covered in blood and more spreading across the wound on her chest.

"Miaka!" Nuriko shrieked, catching the others' attention.

Seeing exactly what Nuriko was shouting about, Tamahome, Hotohori, and Matthew dashed over to Miaka's body. Tamahome clutched her closely while Hotohori kneeled in closer. Matthew dropped to his knees with his eyes widened as he peered at the wound on her chest and the shard of glass sticking out of it.

"The fake Miaka was bleeding from this spot!" Hotohori gasped.

"Don't tell me she did this to save us!?" Tamahome asked in growing dread..

"Miaka!" Matthew cried loudly.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

From within the darkened room, the one who startd this whole incident watched in amazement. The girl had actually been willing to sacrifice herself just to make sure that her friends were safe from the double that had taken her place.

"I have never seen anyone like this girl!" the person gasped in shock.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Hotohori and Tamahome were both desperately trying to get Miaka to wake up. Matthew was unsure about what to do at this point andd he could only watch in helplessness. Nuriko then decided to take a hold of the situation as he stepped forward to help.

"All of you!" she barked. "Turn away now!"

"Huh?!" Matthew gaped. "Why?"

"I'm going to take her clothes off and tend to her wound!" Nuriko explained.

"But you're a man too!" Tamahome protested.

"True, but I have the soul of a woman!" Nuriko retorted with a spakle in his eyes.

The three normal men turned around as Nuriko set to do his job. He quickly opened Miaka's shirt to assess the damage while tearing up sections of his dress to use as bandages.

"These wounds are horrible!" he cried in shock. "You got yourself pretty good this time!"

"Is Miaka going to be alright?" asked Hotohori in worry as he kept his back turned.

"Fortunately, she missed her heart," Nuriko replied while wrapping up the wound. "It all depends on her will to live."

The three men sighed in relief. They knew Miaka to have a strong will so it would only be a matter of time really. That is, until Nuriko took notice of something and gasped in shock. It was something thatt the boys did not want to hear.

"The bleeding won't stop!" Nuriko cried, referring to the spreading red stain on the bandages he had placed over Miaka's wound. "At this rate she'll..."

"No!" Tamahome cried as he and the other two boys dashed over to their friend. "It can't be! Miaka!"

"Miaka don't leave us!" Hotohori cried loudly.

"If you die I swear I'll kill you!" Matthew added, earning him a confused look from Nuriko that lasted for a moment.

"This is my fault!" Tamahome cried in despair and grief. "If I hadn't been so cold then she wouldn't have run off and this wouldn't have happened."

"This is not the time for blaming yourself Tamahome!" Matthew snapped. "We need to keep a straight head right now!"

"Isn't there anything we can do?" asked Hotohori urgently.

"Blood!" Nuriko replied. "If we could get her some but we don't have any of the equipment or experience for such a thing!"

"Blood!?" the boys gasped.

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Miaka felt like she was a million miles away rom everything and she was feeling pretty low. All she could see was her mother telling her to stay away from home since she was an embarrassment. The kids from her cram school were telling her to just give up. It all seemed so hopeless to her. Looking out into the darkness she saw a beautiful garden that seemed so peaceful.

"That seems to be a place where I can take it easy," she commented to herself. "I won't get in anyone's way over there."

With that goal in mind, Miaka began taking steps closer to the garden. Before she even made it halfway though, something else had caught her attention.

'_Miaka!_' a voice that was remarkably similar to Yui's cried.

"Yui?" Miaka asked into the darkness.

---------------------------------------------------

"_Yui?_" asked a voice that sounded like Miaka.

Yui looked up from where she was draggng herself across the floor, "Miaka? Where are you?"

"_Yui!_" she heard Miaka cry again.

"Miaka! It is you!" Yui gasped. "Where are you? What are you doing? Is Matthew with you?"

"_He is! We're inside of the book!_" Miaka replied.

"The book?" asked Yui. "You don't mean-?"

"_The Universe of the Four Gods!_" Miaka finished. "_It's closed and we can't get out!_"

"I thought so," Yui replied, her breath getting shorter. "You're hurt pretty bad aren't you?"

"_Huh? How did you know?_" Miaka asked in confusion.

"I...I just do," Yui gasped in reply. "I'll be there in a second."

"_Okay...but I don't think I can get out anymore,_" Miaka spoke solemnly. "_Just make sure that Matthew gets out okay?_"

"What are you talking about?" Yui frowned."Don't you dare give up! I AM going to get you BOTH out of there so hang on!"

"_Yui..._" Miaka said quietly.

----------------------------------------------------

Back with the boys, no one knew really what to do. Before their very eyes, Miaka was growing pale as her wound continued to bleed. Matthew had brought some medical supplies from home but they weren't the type of thing that were used for deep wounds like this. She needed a doctor and a blood transfusion. Nuriko was the one who from the looks of things knew at least something about medicine but they didn't have anything that he could use. Tamahome and Hotohori were looking solemn at Miaka's form as a tear dropped onto her face. From who was yet to be seen.

"You can't die!" Tamahome suddenly cried out.

He reached over to the bloody shard that Miaka had used to stab herself with and gripped it tightly. Hotohori aslo got a similar deetermined look in his eyes as he drew his sword and held the blade over his arm, preparing himself to cut the skin.

"If yoou need blood then I'll give you everything I have!" Hotohori shouted in determination.

"If it will save you then I'll trade my life for yours!" Tamahome agreed as he pointed the bloody shard at his shoulder.

'_Tamahome? Hotohori?_' Miaka asked, hearing their voices as clear as day. Hearing their voices so determined to save her caused tears to come to her eyes. They really did care! "_I...I..._"

"_Miaka!_" Yui's voice rang out in the darkness.

Tamahome plunged the shard into his body deeply, allowing his blood to flow out of the wound. Hotohori also slashed his arm with his sword, his blood also greeting the light of day. They were determined to rescue Miaka at all costs. Even if they were the ones who would give up their own lives. Nuriko watched as they commited this act with equal determination in his eyes alongside Matthew. All four of them were committed in helping protect the young woman's life.

"_I WON'T GIVE UP!_" Miaka cried out into the darkness with all her might.

Droplets of blood landed on Miaka's hands and skirt from it suddenly leaving Tamahome and Hootohori. Nuriko looked down to check the wound before gasping in shock yet again. Not sure if they could handle another surprise, the three men followed his gaze to the wound.

"It's stopped bleeding!" Nuriko cried. "Her wound has stopped bleeding!"

The young men all heaved sighs of relief at this. If Miaka's wound really had stopped bleeding then the chances of her survival had just risen significantly. They all looked to her face and were slightly taken back as her eyes opened as if she had been asleep. Tamahome and Hotohori, who were cluthcing theirwounds, seemed the most delighted in seeing her wake up.

"Miaka!" all four men cried in delight as they got closer to the young priestess.

"Tamahome? Nuriko? Hotohori? Matthew?" Miaka asked slowly. "Am I...still alive?"

Glancing over to where Tamahome was looking down on her, she suddenly reached up and stretched the sides of his face. She just had to make sure that she was looking at the real thing and not another copy. After dealing with a magic mirror, it was just a good idea to be on the side of caution. Letting her hands fall to her sides again, she broke out into a smile.

"It really is you Tamahome," Miaka laughed weakly.

"You little jerk! We were worried about you!" Tamahome cried as he and Hotohori gathered Miaka into a hug.

"I am overjoyed," Hotohori sighed in relief.

Miaka glanced over to hwere Nuriko was sitting and became slightly miffed to find that he was making faces at her, "I knew that a stupid, overoptimistic, food-monger like you wouldn't die from that!"

"Oh shrivel up and die, Nuriko," Miaka hissed,

"Ha ha ha!" Matthew laughed. "You must be feeling better if you can trade insults with Nuriko already."

"Hmm," Miaka smiled. "It was really dark when I was out. I didn't know where to go and then this beautiful garden showed up. At first I was going to go there but then everyone started calling for me. So I came back."

Everyone smiled in happiness to see that their friend was okay. Of course, with the luck that the band of adventurers had been having thus far, something had to come in and interrupt the moment.

"**_Thank You,_**" a voice echoed throughout the misty area.

"What was that?" asked Miaka.

"You got me," Matthew replied.

The mist around them had begun to lift to reveal an entirely new view rather than the forest that they had been travelling through. This view involved a majestic looking mountain with several structures placed on it. The mist was still around but it was very thin. A lake was at the bottom of the mountain and orbs of some kind were floating in the air without any kind of direction or purpose.

"**_You have arrived at the land of my home_**," the voice continued.

"No way! This is heaven?" Miaka gasped in surprise.

"Miaka, you have to be dead to get into heaven," Matthew commentad through half-lidded eyes.

"Wait!" Hotohori spoke up, recognising the scenery. "This is...Daichi-San Mountain!"

Everyone's eyes widened in shock. They were there during the whole incident with the mirror?! No way! Before anyone coulod really make any kind of comment on their surprise, they spied someone walking down the steps that led to the mountain. They were all speechless as they saw the person approaching, even if they couldn't see them clearly through the mist.

"Welcome Miaka," the voice from before spoke, but quieter.

'Tai-Yi Jun!' was the thought shared by the five adventurers.

"I shall now inform you and your four celestial warriors of how to return to your world," Tai-Yi Jun spoke as she stepped out of the mist.

Her appearance was not what any of the group was expecting. She was in fact a short old lady with long hair and looked as if she had been around the bend a couple of times. The group only blinked at her appearaance and sweat-dropped. Then, as a group they all said one sentance.

"The wicked witch of the east!" they all cried loudly.

"Watch your mouths chickies!" Tai-Yi Jun snapped, bonking them over the head with her fist.

"So...so you're really Tai-Yi Jun?" stammered Nuriko, still pointing at the old lady.

"That's right. I am the ruler of this world," Tai-Yi Jun confirmed before she saw that Hotohori had his back turned to her. A vein started throbbing on her forehead at this conduct. "Hotohori! How dare you turn your back to me!"

"I cannot bear ugliness!" Hotohori replied with his hand to his face.

"Okay," Matthew blinked, sweat-dropping. "You might want to get used to it though. The world can be an ugly place."

"Hmph!" Tai-Yi Jun frowned, still insulted. "Be that as it may, all of your are wounded to a various degree save for Nuriko. I had tested you to see how much you cared for each other but I was never expecting this."

"What?!" Matthew gaped. "That was all a test? You could have killed us with that double!"

"Hardly," Tai-Yi Jun commenteed dissmisively. "You all would have just passed out. I would never cause serious harm to the chosen. Now, what Miaka did was of her own violition. All I wanted to see was how you reacted to the situation and see if you really cared for one another. It is safe to say that you exceeded my expectations"

"Is that supposed to make us feel better?" Matthew frowned.

"Nothing to be done about it," Tai-Yi Jun shrugged before placing her hands together. "We'll have to see to your wounds first and foremost."

The five adventurers suddenly felt themselves lifting into the air and discovered that they were on a floating platform of some kind. Miaka's eyes bulged right open as Tai-Yi Jun lifted up right alongside them. Tamahome and Hotohori both held Miaka in a secure grip while Nuriko latched onto Matthew with enough force to shatter bones if he wasn't careful.

"We're fine," he reassured himself. "We aren't going to drop to a bloody death."

"Only the chosen ones can visit or even see the mountain," Tai-Yi Jun explained. "Others and those with evil in their hearts will only see a plain hill. Enough about that though. We will be heading to my palace."

--------------------------------------------

Yui had finally pulled herself into the restricted section of the library and found The Universe of the Four Gods. Leaning against the bookcase, she opened it and began to read. She just had to find out what had happened to Miaka and Matthew.

"I see," she whispered as she looked over the pages. "So Miaka is the young lady and Matthew is one of the young men."

...gallant young man who bore the character for demon on his forehead...

...young man, Tamahome, took the young lady's hand and drew her from the crowd...

...Too cheap!" the young lady was certain this was no joke...

...In a burst of anger, the young man struck Tamahome for his insensitivity and for breaking the young lady's heart...

"So his name is Tamahome," Yui remarked as she remembered the boy who had rescued her, Miaka, and Matthew from those slavers. "Wait...Matthew picked a fight with him?!"

Yui just continued to read. She couldn't help but be interested in the adventures that her firends were involved in while they were in the book. She felt a flare of anger when she read about the girls of the Inner Seraglio fawning over Matthew. She also felt sadness when she read about Miaka's heartbreak and Matthew's lonliness. Something that did catch her attention though was whenever Miaka started getting injured, the symptoms were the exact same as the things that had happened to her uniform.

"But why?" Yui asked herself, hoping to see an answer.

-------------------------------------------

The five adventurers finally came to a stop in front of a large building just behind of Tai-Yi Jun. The old lady left her meditative pose and walked over to the doors with the others close behind. They then entered a large hall with a number of those orbs floating in the air.

"Now then," she sighed. "Let's tend to those wounds. Lai-Lai!"

To everyone's surprise, the orbs in the room popped into smoke before each of them became a small girl with buns on her head. All of them crowded around the adventurers with something like childish curiosity.

"Heal them," Tai-Yi Jun ordered. The Lai-Lai suddenly started poking and reaching towards the wounds that the three young men had.

"You a girl!" one of three Lai-Lai that were tending Miaka spoke. "This way!"

Matthew found the girls cute as they tended to his wound. They seemed entusiastic about the job anyway. He also laughed when Nuriko got mad at one of them for being called a pervert. Of course, Miaka had started saying that the boys' injuries were more serious than hers and should be tended to first. Of course, the Lai-Lai did't listen before they stripped her to her panties, causing Matthew to blush and look away.

"You shouldn't ask of such things," Tai-Yi Jun commented as she heard Miaka's plea of tending to Tamahome and Hotohori first. "As you are now you could never make it back to your world. You don't even have an ounce of strenght left for the job."

"Then please let her have our blood Tai-Yi Jun!" Hotohori spoke up as he clutched his still bleeding wound.

"Exactly!" Tamahome agreed. "Just give our blood to Miaka!"

"What?!" Miaka gasped. "No! You can't!"

"Hmm," Tai-Yi Jun pondered, ignoring Miaka's protests. "I suppose that I could. The process will be painful and your strength will be diminished afterwards."

"A fair trade," Hotohori smiled.

"What good is my blood when it's dripping on the ground anyway?" Tamahome snickered.

"Very well," Tai-Yi Jun nodded and placed her hands together again.

Tamahome and Hotohori suddenly found themselves swallowed up by two large orbs and hoisted into the air. Miaka found herself in a similar situation but unlike the two young men who were still decent to a point, Miaka was still almost stripped bare and was desperately trying to cover herself up. Matthew kept his eyes away from Miaka but Nuriko didn't hesitate in admiring Hotohori's half-clothed chest.

"Tamahome, Hotohori," Tai-Yi Jun spoke. "I am using my will to transfer blood from your wounds into Miaka to restore her strength. This will be a painful process so prepare yourselves."

With that, the orbs began to glow brighter as Tai-Yi Jun began to meditate. Tamahome and Hotohori began to cringe with the pain while Miaka squirmed somewhat. Matthew could see small red droplets coming out of their orbs and into Miaka's. He didn't want to switch places with any of them but he respected them for what they were doing. It probably wasn't something that anyone would volunteer for unless they were comitted one-hundred percent to what they were doing this for, or in this case, who.

"That should be enough," Tai-Yi Jun finally spoke, breaking her concentration.

Tamahome and Hotohori dropped to the floor and showed some signs of exhaustion. Miaka was gently put on the floor as a group of Lai-Lai began tending to her and dressing her again,

"Now that Miaka has her strength back, I will explain how she her friend can get home," Tai-Yi Jun explained. "Miaka, Matthew, you've been in this world for too long so finding an opening and leaving can't be done now. However, there are two things that can connect you to your world from here. One of them is 'identical here as there.' We need something that can reach both points."

--------------------------------------------------------

"Identical here as there?" Yui pondered as she read the sentance. "Wait..I know!"

--------------------------------------------------------

"Our uniform!" Miaka smiled brighty. "Yui has one just like mine!"

What no one seemed to notice was that Matthew was beginning to look like he had started swallowing a lemon.

"It can be with someone who owns the exact same object or someplace connected to that object," Tai-Yi Jun continued. "The second thing you need is deep, intensely shared feelings."

-------------------------------------------------------

"Miaka! Matthew!" Yui cried. "I'm right here! Come back home!"

------------------------------------------------------

'_Yui!_' Miaka gasped in her thoughts. She could hear her friend loud and clear. The way that Matthew's head was turned towards the celing showed that he had heard her as well.

"If circumstances were normal and we had all seven celestial warriors then we would have no problem," Tai-Yi Jun added. "However, Nuriko is the only uninjured warrior and we have no idea which diety Matthew is meant to serve. The spiritual energy needed for such a thing is enormous."

"We can do it," Tamahome spoke with confidence.

"Yes, we can send our friends back home," Hotohori agreed.

"Don't worry about a thing you two," Nuriko smiled.

Miaka smiled brightly at her friends. Tamahome then walked over to her and kneeled before placing a hand on her head, "You just have to promise to come back. Everyone will be waiting for you."

"Hmm," Tai-Yi Jun smiled. "Shall we commence? Miaka and Matthew will sit in the centre with myself, Tamahome, Hotohori, and Nuriko sitting around them. It will be tough, but I think we can send them both."

"Um," Matthew suddenly spoke up. "I think I'm going to sit this little ceremony out. Just concentrate on sending Miaka back."

"Huh?" the warriors of Suzaku gasped. Tai-Yi Jun just glanced at him with a serious gaze.

"And just what brought on this little decisoin?" she asked.

"Matthew, what are you saying?" Miaka asked in surprise.

"Well," Matthew shrugged. "A few things really. I mean, if I actually turn out to be a celestial warrior then wouldn't it be better for me to stick around here where I'm actually needed?"

"True," Hotohori nodded. "But, don't you at least want to see your friends and home?"

"The thought crossed my mind," Matthew nodded. "The only problem is that I don't have either requirement for going home filled. I really haven't shared anything with the people I know back home and I doubt that anyone would have a very strong connection with me of all people."

---------------------------------------------------

"No!" Yui cried, tears coming to her eyes. "You're wrong! You do have something! Our watches! Those connect us! I have a strong connection to you! I...I...I do have strong feelings concerning you! Please come home Matthew!"

--------------------------------------------------

"I see," Tai-Yi Jun nodded. "I can see that there is no dissuading you from this idea of yours. This settles it. We shall only send Miaka back home then."

The warriors created a circle around Miaka with Tai-Yi Jun at the top. All of them had their eyes closed and were in deep concentration. Matthew hung back, leaning against a wall to keep out of the way and bear witness to the ceremony.

Miaka concentrated as hard as she could on home. She tried thinking about school, home, her motheer, her brother, her friends, anything that reminded her of home ran through her head. The problem was that she kept lingering on images of Tamahome and Hotohori, feeling guilty about the problems she had caused them.

'_Concentrate you fool!_' Tai-Yi Jun's voice shouted in her head. '_If you don't concentrate enough you might get caught in the gap of time and space!_'

That was all the incentive that Miaka needed to start concentrating harder. It was funny what one could do when they felt that they were in danger. From the outside, Matthew watched as the warriors and Miaka were surrounded by bright auras that almost caused him to look away. He peered closer to Miaka and saw that she was slowly vanishing from sight. He smiled as he knew that she was going to be back home shortly.

'_I feel like I'm burning up!_' Miaka thought to herself. '_It's just like when I was first pulled into the book! I'm going home!_'

With a final flash of red light, Miaka had vanished from the room, leaving three exhausted warriors and one Tai-Yi Jun behind. The old woman heaved a sigh and stood up again.

"Now that Miaka is back where she belongs, I suggest the rest of you get some sleep. I will have Lai-Lai prepare some rooms for you," she spoke.

Nuriko was up rather quickly with Hotohori slowly coming to his feet. Tamahome stayed seated on the floor with a down look on his face. Matthew just smiled and walked over to him before patting him on the shoulder.

"Cheer up," he smiled. "Miaka will be back before you know it."

"I hope so," Tamahome sighed. "It just won't be the same without her."

"No," Matthew agreed. "But we'll survive. Now come on. You need some rest after losing your blood and spiritual energy."

"Yeah, yeah," Tamahome grumbled as he shakily got to his feet.

To Be Continued...

A/N: Here's chapter ten folks. Matthew is staying behind with the other warriors while Miaka goes back home to be so carefree like other kids her age. The next chapter will have her return and catching up with things that she had missed thus far. Expect a major twist!


	11. Chapter 11

I do not Fushigi Yugi or any of the connected characters. Those belong to Yu Watase and not me. The only character I won is the OC that I made. Everything else is not mine so don't even try to get me sued for it. You won't get a penny out of me. I doubt you'd even make it to court.

Fushugi Yugi: Dansei Tsure

By Ten-Faced Paladin

Chapter 11: Catching Up

The mood in Hotohori's throne room was grim. The future was looking bleak for the people of Hong-Nan. Even the weather outside seemed somewhat cloudy as the mood of depression filled the room. In front of Hotohori were his advisors. Each of them had their own gim expression which mirrored their king. Each one of them knew what the future was going to bring and they did not like it. Finally, Hotohori sighed deeply before speaking to his advisors.

"What were they thinking?" he asked. "The situation should never have become this grave."

"Your Majesty," one of the advisors suddenly spoke. "I am surprised that the peace has lasted this long. During these years, Hong-Nan has almost been too quiet."

"I know," Hotohori nodded before bringing a hand to his face. "However..."

Before he could finish his sentance, a bright flash ofred light erupted from above. Before he could turn to see what it was, a large weight came crashing down on him. Despite his appearance, Hotohori was a rather strong young man. Despite this, the surprise of this sudden impact caused him to crumple underneath it.

"Your Majesty!!" the advisors and guards cried in shock.

"Oops," a female voice mumbled from above Hotohori.

The sound of the voice suddenly caused Hotohri to snap to attention. He craned his neck slightly to see just who had landed on him and he gasped in surprise. The face he was looking at was none other than the Priestess of Suzaku Miaka! She was slightly red from the embarassing entrance but she was still smiling.

"Ah ha ha ha," she laughed nervously. "Sorry, Hotohori."

Miaka got off the young emperor feeling a great sense of relief at being back in Hong-Nan. She had made it home without any kind of trouble, but she had discovered that she had only been gone for a couple of hours. Her mother and Keisuke were worried sick about her. Despite the stern talking to she had recieved, Miaka had recovered from her illness very quickly. She had even gone to school the next day. Desite trying to get back to her own life, she couldn't get her mind off the adventures she had been through while inside the book. She especially couldn't get her mind away from Tamahome. The final point was driven home when she saw that Yui and Matthew were gone. Mrs. Hongo had even come to her demanding to know where Yui had vanished. Miaka already knew. She was in The Universe of the Four Gods. With her destination set, Miaka had packed and dashed to the library with her brother Keisuke in tow. She knew he could keep the book safe while she was in it.

"It's the Priestess of Suzaku!" cried one of the guards, snapping Miaka back to reality. "She's back!"

"Uh," Miaka blinked, slightly nervous at the attention. "Miaka Yuki reporting for duty."

She turned back to talk to Hotohori, but soon found herself swwept up in his arms. She couldn't help but blush at the intimacy of the action. She could even hear the young emperor's heart beating in his chest since she was so close to him.

"How I've missed you Miaka," Hotohori whispered in a mix ofrelief and happiness.

'_Hotohori,_' Miaka gasped in her thoughts.'_He really missed me this much?_'

Hotohori held her for a moment longer before releasing her. Miaka likewise took a moment to catch her breath. When she was properly free from Hotohori's embrace, she decided to see just what was going on.

"I missed you too Hotohori," Miaka smiled brightly.

"Yes," Hotohori nodded. "It has been some time hasn't it? The three months we had to endure without you were just not the same as when you were here."

"What?!" Miaka gasped. "Three months have passed already?!" She had only been gone for a day!

"Yes," Hotohori nodded. "Could you please come with me? There are some things we need to discuss."

Grabbing her overstuffed backpack, Miaka quickly followed the young emperor to the halls. She didn't like the grim look that was on his face. She could tell that something really bad had happened. Her heart started to hurt, fearing that something had happened to Yui, Tamahome, or Matthew.

"Miaka," Hotohori finally spoke. "There has been some trouble in the time that you have been gone. I must ask you a favor as the Priestess of Suzaku."

"What is it?" Miaka asked. "I'll do anything to help!"

"You **must** find the other Constellations of Suzaku as quickly as possible!" Hotohori spoke gravely.

"Huh?" Miaka blinked. "Why the hurry? What's wrong?"

"Relations with our neighboring country of Qu-Dong have deteriorated. Every year we send ambassadors with peace treaties but something went wrong," Hotohori explained.

"What happened?" asked Miaka.

"Our ambassadors were attacked!" Hotohori sighed. "They were killed by men in armor similar to Qu-Dong soldiers. We tried to tell the ministers but they refused to listen and even went so far as to accuse us of not even sending the treaties in the first place. They were outraged by all this and declared war on us. They have sought our lands since antiquity!"

"W-war?!" Miaka cried in shock. A terribe thought then came to her mind. '_Yui! If there's war then Yui might get caught in the middle!_'

Looking into Hotohori's eyes urgently, she grasped him by the arms, "Hotohori! Did you see Yui?! She's a girl who's dressed like me except she has short hair!"

"Yui?" Hotohori blinked. "Yes. She is here. She hasn't left the side of the lone survivor of the ambassadors. He was the one who saved her and brought her back."

"Really?" Miaka gasped in delight. "Where is she?"

"Follow me," Hotohori smiled slightly. It was least a small blessing the help the woman he was falling for.

The two walked down the halls of the palace until they reached the guest wing where important guests slept. Hotohori remained silrnt and stepped carefully. He stopped in front of one of the closed doors and tapped on it slightly.

"I don't want to talk to anyone," a familiar female voice came from inside the room. Miaka gasped as she recognised it. It was Yui!

"It's Hotohori," the young emperor spoke. "There's someone out here who's very eager to see you again."

There was a silence for a moment before footsteps could be heard coming closer to the door. The door then slid open to reveal none other than Miaka's missing friend Yui. She looked a little ruffled and was wearing her unifrom. Her face had sadness pouring out of her eyes and dried tear streaks running down her face. The second her eyes landed on Miaka, she gasped in surprise.

"Miaka?" she asked, not quite believing her eyes.

"Yui!" Miaka smiled brightly before she wrapped her best friend in a hug. "Oh Yui! I was so worried about you! When I found out you were missing I came straight here!"

"But..but I was sucked in three months ago," Yui commented confusedly as she held Miaka.

"Time goes faster back home," Miaka explained quickly as she stepped back. "I'm so glad you're safe! Now we just need to find Matthew and we can find the other Celestial Warriors!"

At the mention of the foreign boy's name, Miaka's two friends quickly took on dark looks. Hotohori's expresion had turned grim again while Yui started tearing up and sniffling. It looked as if she was going to break out in tears at any minute. Miaka was a little confused by their reactions.

"Yui? Hotohori?" she asked. "What's wrong? What happened to Matthew?"

"It's all my fault!" Yui sobbed loudly before putting her face in her hands.

"Miaka," Hotohori sighed. "Matthew was the only survivor of the ambassadors. He had come back with Yui and he was..."

"Hey," A voice groaned from inside the room. "Can't a guy get a little shuteye around here?"

Miaka turned to see who had spoken and stepped into the room past Yui. What she saw made her gasp. Matthew was leaning back on a bed with only his pants on. His chest was wrapped in tight bandages. His right shoulder was likewise wrapped in bandages. He even had some wrapping over his left eye, which cut his vision in half. Judging from his voice he had been hurt pretty bad. His looks only proved that fact. Other than that, his hair had gotten a little longer and his body looked like it was developing some nice muscle in the right places.

"Matthew!" Miaka cried. "What happened to you?!"

Matthew shrugged before he saw Yui continuing to cry into her hands. Heaving a sigh, he began to speak again, "Yui, how many times do I have to say that this wasn't your fault? I knew the risks when I took that guy on. As long as you were safe I don't care."

"But Matthew!" Yui sobbed as she kneeled next to his bed. "The doctor said you could have died if you didn't get help when you did."

"What?!" Miaka shouted in shock. "Matthew, what did you do?!"

"I guess you do deserve an explanation, don't you?" Matthew grinned. "Okay then. Believe it or not, this all happened about a week or so after we sent you home."

------**Flashback**-------------------

_Hong-Nan had been on edge for the last few days. Hotohori and his advisors had been busy drawing up the newest peace treaties that they would send to Qu-Dong so that the uneasy peace that they held could continue for another year. It hadn't been easy for the young emperor. He found that after Miaka left he felt a sudden emptiness open inside of him. It was an emptiness that Tamahome and Nuriko (to a certain extent) could feel. Nuriko had been continuing his ways of cross-dressing to keep occupied while Tamahome had started training Matthew in martial arts (for a price) so he could concentrate on something besides Miaka._

_"The treaties are finished," Hotohori spoke to his court while handing the scrolls which held the treaties to a group of men. "It will be up to you to ensure that they get to Qu-Dong and secure another year of peace for our contries."_

_"It will be done your Majesty," the ambassadors bowed as they took the scrolls._

_"Also," Hotohori continued. "I would like for you take the usual contingent of guards with you. We cannot risk failing this mission."_

_"Your Majesty," one of the ambassadors spoke. "I think my fellow ambassadors can agree with me when we say that we would feel much safer if one of the three Celestial Warriors besides yourself would come with us."_

_"Which one?" Hotahori asked, slightly confused. There were only two warriors besides himself: Tamahome and Nuriko._

_"It does not matter to us," the ambassador replied. "Be it Tamahome, Nuriko, or Matthew. We would feel safer if one of them would accompany us."_

_Hotohori looked over to where his three friends were sitting. Their faces were all he needed to know how they felt about this. Nuriko wasn't looking very pleased at the thought of travelling after their little trek to see Tai Yi-Jun. Tamahome's eyes were clouded, showing that he wasn't paying attention. His mind was on Miaka again. Matthew was the only one who seemed to be paying attention. He was also showing some resignation on his face. He was expecting to be the one chosen for this job. Hotohori knew that he couldn't let the Celestial Warriors go far from Hong-Nan or else they could take a bigger risk of losing them. In the end, Hotohori knew his hand was forced._

_"Very well," Hotohori nodded. "Matthew will accompany you to Qu-Dong."_

_"Thank-you your Majesty," the ambassador nodded._

_A short while later, Matthew was in new travelling clothes while on horseback with the ambassadors on their way to Qu-Dong. He was in a pair of green pants with a red shirt. A yellow sash was on his waist. He was carrying his backpack on the side of his horse. No point in travelling with unnecessary weight on his back. The guards were all as stiff as bricks while the ambassadors remained calm and were even chatting to each other. Matthew just kept to hmself. He wasn't a real fighter yet (but Tamahome said that he was going at a pretty good pace) or a politician. He was just a guy who was mistaken for a Celestial Wrrior._

_"Excuse me Lord Matthew," one of the younger politicians spoke. He was a man who looked like he was in his early twenties._

_"Yes?" Matthew asked, turning to him asto pay his full attention._

_"Um," the man began, unsure of what to say. "I was just wondering. What constellation are you? I mean, some of us feel that it's rude to call you by name rather than your title."_

_"My constellation?" Matthew blinked. He wondered if he should tell the truth at the moment but decided against it. The ambassadors and soldiers seem to have some high morale when a Celestial Warrior was with them. He then smiled slightly. "Well, that's a secret for now. I prefer to be called by my birthname."_

_"I see," the ambassador smiled. "So be it. We'll find out eventually though." _

_"Of that I have no doubt," Matthew grinned in response._

_Matthew and the ambassador chatted on and off even after they had crossed the Hong-Nan/Qu-Dong border. The scenery hadn't changed that much but everyone could just tell that they were in the eastern country. The climate was a little cooler and you could just feel it in the air. It felt completely different from Hong-Nan. The group of ambassadors and soldiers decided to travel a little more before they spied an upcoming village. It seemed a little dingy but it was better than nothing. It was a neutral place since the soldiers of Qu-Dong didn't really travel through often and the people didn't care if people came from Hong-Nan. It had a decent inn so no one could really complain._

_After the others had checked in, Matthew left to try and find a quiet place to train. He had only been able to train a little since they had gotten back to the palace, but his body was still shaping up. Tamahome had been able to show him a couple of moves so things had progressed nicely in Matthew's opinion. Now all he had to do was get in shape and perfect the moves._

_"Can't a guy get a little privacy around here?" Matthew groaned as he saw some shifty characters hanging out in an alley. He didn't like the look they had in their eyes. It seemed that they were keeping an eye out for something. That, or being lookouts in general._

_"MIAKA! MATTHEW!" a female voice shrieked in terror and desperation. "SOMEONE HELP ME!"_

_"Yui?!" Matthew gasped in shock. He started to turn to the source of the voice. "YUI!!"_

_Matthew ran in the direction he was sure that he had heard Yui in, but it was down the alley that the two goon swere keeping watch in. When he tried to step closer, the two men stepped in front of him. Both of them tried to look intimidating._

_"Sorry kid," the first one smirked. "Private get together is down here. You need an invite."_

_"But-," Matthe tried to argue. He was hoping that he didn't have to result to his fists. He wanted to save them for whoever made Yui scream._

_"Scram kid," the other goon growled._

_"HELP ME!!!" Yui's voice screamed again_

_That did it for Matthew. A growl echoed out of his throat as his eyes turned gold. Both of the goons saw the sudden change and couldn't help but flinch at the sight. How did the kid do that?_

_"GET OUT OF MY WAY!" Matthew roared before he planted a punch in the first goon's face. The second goon was caught by surprise by the sudden outburst and couldn't react in time before Matthew lodged a kick into his temple and put him to the ground. With both goons either out cold or in too much pain to do much, Matthew dashed off down the alley._

_It hadn't taken him long to get to the source of the screams. He was right about it being Yui as well. There were two more thugs who had caught her and were holding her down. One was holding her arms while the other was sitting on her legs and was in the process of removing her shirt. Both thugs had frozen at being caught while Yui's teary eyes were gazing at Matthew with hope mixed in with fear. Matthew just felt his own anger building at seeing what was happening to one of his only friends. As the rage built, his breath could be seen leaving his mouth despite the evening being warm. Matthew had only remained still for a moment before growling again._

_"GET THE HELL AWAY FROM HER!" Matthew bellowed as he dashed towards Yui and the thugs._

_Matthew's speed seemed to have increased slightly since the thugs could barely move before Matthew had caught up with them. The one sitting on Yui had a kick planted on his face. The force of which had sent him to the dirt with a bloody face. He didn't feel any pain since he had been knocked out on impact. The second goon had been shocked by the brutality before he decided to make a smart decision and ran off screaming. Matthew heaved a few steaming breaths before his eyes returned to their normal shade. He turned back to see Yui, who was sitting upright. Her shirt was wide open with her bra showing but the foreign boy didn't care about that at the moment._

_"Yui?" he asked as he kneeled down to look at her. "Yui, it's me. Matthew. Did those guys hurt you?"_

_"Matthew?" Yui blinked. She was still for a moment before she started to cry. She then glomped onto the foreign boy with all her might. "MATTHEW!"_

_Matthew just wrapped his arms around his friend and held her while she shed her tears. It was understandable since she had almost been raped. Anyone would be traumatised by such an experience._

_-----_**End Flashback**---------

"Oh my gosh," Miaka gasped as she held her hands to her mouth. Yui had remained silent the whole time while shivering. Matthew had genty taken her hand to support her through the bad memory. Hotohori had respectfully kept his silence while Matthew and Yui had told their story.

"Yeah," Matthew nodded. "Those thugs were lucky I wasn't armed. Otherwise I would have killed them for what they tried to do."

"But that doesn't explain why you're a mummy right now," Miaka spoke up.

"I'm getting to that," Matthew sighed. "I'm not exactly eager to share how I got my ass royally kicked.

------**Flashback**--------------

_Matthew brought Yui out of the alley as he continued to support her. She was walking slowy and she still had tear streaks running down her face. She was also shivering very fiercely._

_"Yui," Matthew spoke, unsure of how to begin. "How long have you been here?"_

_"I...I just got here," Yui sniffed. "The last thing I remember is being in the library. I was trying to bring Miaka back. I just wanted to bring you both back home."_

_"Well, it worked," Matthew replied gently. The only thing that confused him was the fact that Miaka had been sent home close to a week ago. "Miaka got back home safely."_

_"But why didn't you come home?" Yui asked while gazing into Matthew's eyes._

_"Simple," Matthew sighed. "I didn't fufill either of the requirements needed to come home. I didn't have anything on me that was the same back home. I didn't have anyone with strong feelings concerning me either."_

_"That's not true," Yui mumbled while leaning on Matthew. "Our watches. The one you gave me for my birthday. I may not have known you as long as I do Miaka, but you're still a very good friend. My feelings would have been enough to bring you home."_

_"You kept that thing?" Matthew blinked. "Wow. With all the other presents those other boys in class got you I thought you would have forgotten about it."_

_"No," Yui denied, shaking her head. "I wear it everyday. I only take it off when I take a bath."_

_Matthew smiled but still couldn't help but blush slightly at the confession, "Heh. I don't take mine off either."_

_"I know," Yui smiled. "When you got hurt protecting Miaka with Tamahome, blood was coming off of it. Just like it did with my skirt."_

_"Really?" Matthew blinked. "I guess that's how you knew what to use to bring Miaka back home."_

_Yui nodded before the two of them fell back into silence. Matthew wasn't sure what else to say while Yui didn't have much else to say at the moment. She was beginning to fell exhausted after her terrible experience. Matthew just continued to help her stand as they continued back towards the inn._

_"Hey, Yui," Matthew spoke up. "I'm here with some men from Hong-Nan. We're going to give some peace treaties to the emperor of Qu-Dong so you can come with us and once we're done we can bring back to the palace and wait for Miaka there. Then we can collect the other members of the Suzaku Seven and find a way home. How does that sound?"_

_Yui was quiet for a moment before she started talking again, "Okay. Just, don't leave me alone."_

_"Promise," Matthew snickered. "You'll like it in Hong-Nan. Hotohori and Tamahome are pretty cool guys. They're nuts over Miaka so you won't have to worry about some other obnoxious guy trying to bug you for a date like you do back home. Nuriko plays for the other team so you won't have to worry about him either. Hell, he's a drag queen to boot!"_

_"What about you?" Yui asked, a slight smile on her face. "Are you going to make a move on me?"_

_"Urk!" Matthew blanched. His face turned into a grand impression of a tomato. "Well, uh, I...Um."_

_Yui smiled a little as she let out a small giggle, "You're funny when you get flustered. Did you know that?"_

_Matthew sighed and began to grumble inhocerently. If it was one thing that he hated, it was looking stupid in front of someone that he knew. This was a special case since Yui was one of the few friends that he had in the east. The upside was that the number fo friends had increased to include Hotohori, Tamahome, and Nuriko._

_The two youths rounded a corner, expecting to see the inn that the men from Hong-Nan were staying at, but found something else entirely. The entire building was on fire as a few dead bodies that Matthew defitely recognised as the ambassadors from Hong-Nan. Men dressed in armor that had depictions of dragons on them surrounded the building. If what Matthew remembered of the descriptions were right, then these men were soldiers of Qu-Dong!_

_"What the hell are they doing?" Matthew gaped. Yui's face was immobilised in shock and terror._

_"We are cleaning out some trash," A deep voice replied from behind the two._

_Matthew's eyes widened as he turned around to face whoever had spoke. Who he saw was not someone who he would consider friendly. He was donned in the uniform of the Qu-Dong soldiers but he was concealing his face with a length of cloth that was wrapped along his torso. Matthew could see blonde hair sticking out of his helmet but his icy blue eyes caught the majority of his attention. The man was also making Matthew feel a deep sense of forboding as he gazed at him._

_"Hmmm," The man pondered as his eyes narrowed. "I can tell by your clothes that you come from Hong-Nan. I guess we've missed one. Though it has been a long time since I have seen someoen who is foreign to these lands as much as I am." His eyes then turned to look at Yui, who had flinched under his gaze. "A girl who wears odd clothing. I wonder."_

_"Wonder what?" asked Matthew despite the fear he was feeling at being in this man's sight._

_"Is this girl the Priestess of Seiryu?" the man asked, his tone hinting towards a sense that he was answering a small child's curiosity for amusement._

_Matthew's breath caught in his throat. He hadn't considered the ramifications of finding Yui in Qu-Dong. Since she had been found in the eastern country then she might be filling the role of the Priestess of Seiryu. He also knew that if Yui was forced to take on such a role then she would be forced to fight against Miaka and the Suzaku Warriors. Matthew didn't want to even consider what might happen if that came to pass. It might mean death for a lot of people and possibly the friendship that the two girls shared. Matthew knew that he couldn't let this guy get his hands of Yui._

_"No, she isn't," Matthew lied. "She appeared in Hong-Nan. I would think that the Priestess of Seiryu would appear in her own country."_

_The man's eyes narrowed slightly, as if considering his words. He then spoke again, "Heh. Your words may lie but your eyes make it all plain. This girl did appear in our country and is the Priestess fo Seiryu. Take her."_

_Yui let out a scream as a soldier grabbed her from behind when neiter she nor Matthew were paying attention. The foreign boy immediately turned around to see the soldier handling her roughly as he tried to pull her away. Matthew quickly turned to face the soldier, and for the second time that night his eyes turned a golden color. The soldier was too busy to notice, but the blonde man's eyes widened ever so slightly as he witnessed the color change._

_"KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF OF HER!" Matthew roared before he planted his fist into the soldier's face and put him to the ground. Yui stimbled slightly as she was freed. She looked up to Mattew only to see him breathing slightly heavier. He turned to look at her and she was caught slightly off guard by the shade his eyes had turned._

_"Run Yui!" He cried as he turned back to face the blonde man. Despite thee approaching soldiers, the didn't want to get too close after seeing their comrade being put down so easily. "You need to get out of here! Get to Hong-Nan! They'll protect you there!"_

_Yui had wanted to protest, but seeing they way he was looking at her had silenced those protests. Gulping a little, Yui immediately ran as if her life was in danger, which it very well might have been. The blonde soldier only watched he rgo in passing interest._

_"General Nakago?" asked one of the solders, almost nervously._

_"Find the girl," the man now known as Nakago ordered. He then turned to look at Matthew. "I will deal with this one myself."_

_"Yes sir!" the soldiers nodded before giving chase in the direction Yui had went._

_"Yui!" Matthew cried as he tried to gice chase, but he was suddenly cut off as Nakago appeared in front of him. Matthew was caught by surprise as he had not been expecting Nakago to be so fast. Of course, he hadn't even seen the punch Nakago had sent until it plowed straight into his stomach._

_"Bragh!" Matthew groaned as he stumbled backward. The man hit as hard as a mountain!_

_"I can't help but feel some surprise that a constellation of Suzaku would travel into our lands," Nakago spoke as he waited for Matthew to recover. "I am also curious as to what powers your golden eyes give you."_

_"G-golden eyes?" Matthew gasped as he tried to stand up straight._

_"Hmm," Nakago seemed to smirk behind his scarf. "So, you don't know about your power yet you can use it at such a level. Such potential."_

_Nakago unleashed his speed again and vanished. Matthew didn't even get a moment more to recover before he felt a big and painful impact on his spine that sent him crashing down to the dirt again.Nakago had moved behind him before planting another mighty punch into him._

_"It shall be my pleasure to snuff that potential out," Nakago finished coldly._

_Matthew now realised that he was now up the river without a paddle. Probably without a boat too. Nakago was playing for keeps. Tamahome had first talked to him about choosing his battles, but Matthew knew that this was not one he could walk away from. Nakago was way too fast for him to run away from unless he wanted him to run. Planting his feet, Matthew decided to try a speed attack that Tamahome had used on him a few times. As he did, steam began to flow from his mouth again. Nakago spotted the change and kept his gaze on the foreign boy._

_"Eat this!" Matthew shouted as he gave a leap at his opponent._

_Nakago's eyes narrowed slightly as the assault came closer. Matthew wasn't paying that much attention to his face as he took aim for a kidney shot that he was sure could at least stun Nakago for long enough to get away. Matthew sent the punch, and for a short second, felt like he had hit something before actually reaching Nakago. The feeling was only for a split second before his fist continued and collided with Nakago's side. Matthew continued with his lunge and rolled to his feet before turning to face Nakago again._

_"Nng!" Nakago grunted as he felt pain run through his side. 'My guard?!'_

_He tunred to face the boy who had dared to attack him and he felt some measure of acknowledgement in the boy's abilities. Not many had been able to get close enough to actually hurt him, but no one had broken through his guard before. How could this one boy, with little training and experience be able to do it?_

_Matthew was waiting for Nakago to show some measure of pain, but he wasn't even doubling over. He had flinched slightly, but that was it. It then became clear to Matthew that Nakago obviously had a very high pain tolerance to be able to take a shot to the kidney like that and barely even move._

_'I'm screwed,' was Matthew's only thought before Nakago began his retalliation._

_CRACK!_

_A fist to the ribs._

_WHAM!_

_A knee to the back._

_CRUNCH!_

_A kick to the side_

_WHUMP!_

_An elbow to the left side of the face._

_The one-sided beatdown continued as Nakago planted more and more blows on him like rain. Matthew felt like he was in a world of pain. As much as he wanted to retalliate, Nakago would just block the attack and Matthe would feeel some kind of electric charge run through his limb that left it feeling burned. Matthew was sure that Nakago wasn't going to stop until he died from the extreme beating that he was under. As soon as Matthew was reaching his own breaking point, Nakago stopped. He merely stood still as he watched Matthew sway under his own weight and the gravity of his injuries. Nakago almost felt the desire to laugh when Matthew finally fell on his back._

_"No doubt you are finding it difficult to even breathe," Nakago spoke as he stupped over to Matthew and looked down on him. "Know this. I could have killed you today but I have decided to let you live for now. I have found you...interesting. I know that you will be a source of entertainment in the future."_

_Matthew could only let out a growl/gurgle at the Qu-Dong general. It was pretty much all he could do since he was barely able to breathe. Blood was pooling in his mouth and running down his face. He couldn't see out of his left eye. He was also pretty sure that his ribs were cracked, if not broken. Despite the pain, his eyes had remained golden throughout the experience._

_"Now, if you'll excuse me," Nakago spoke up. "I have a preistess to find."_

_With that, Nakago walked away, leaving Matthew to bleed on the ground. The foreign boy couldn't stop him as he vanished into the distance. Matthew just continued to lie on the ground as he struggled to remain concious. He didn't know how much time had passed. He had closed his eyes after a few minutes. No point in staring up into the sky. Maybe if he closed his eyes, dying would be just like going to sleep except that the pain would vanish. The only thing he could do was pray to Suzaku, God, or any other diety that would listen that Yui get to Hong-Nan safely._

_"Sniff, sob," someone began to cry. "Matthew."_

_Matthew felt something wet drop onto his face. His face scrucnhed slightly, despite the pain coming from the left side and his eye. Deciding to see what was going on, Matthew opened his eyes. Everything was blurring at first, but it cleared enough for him to see Yui's face looking down on him. She was crying again._

_"So," Matthew smiled,a bit of blood running out of his lips. "Has the angel come to take me away?"_

_"Don't even joke about that!" Yui cried. "You're hurt real bad! You need help!"_

_"Probably," Matthew groaned. "Help me get up please."_

_Yui nodded before reaching behind Matthew's head and helped him sit up. Matthew hadn't really taken time to notice before, but he had to admit that Yui's hands were really soft and warm. She was also being very gentle. After he was up, Yui had gotten him to his feet. Despite being against such an act, Matthew had to spit to get the extra blood out of his mouth._

_"Yui," Matthew spoke hoarsely. "We need to get out of here. Hotohori has to be told what happened."_

_"But how?!" asked Yui._

_"The stables," Matthew replied after a struggling breath. "The horses should still be there."_

_Yui noddedand bgan to lead the wounded boy towards the stables. If they were lucky, the soldiers would not have killed the animals and they would be able to ge to Hong-Nan really quickly._

_---------_**End Flashback**-----------------

"Luckily the soldiers hadn't killed the horses," Matthew spoke as he wrapped up his memory. "We managed to avoid the soldiers and get back to Hong-Nan and back to the castle."

"He was certainly a fright when Yui brought him to my throne room," Hotohori supplied. "Many of us thought he was going to die."

"But Yui," Miaka spoke, turning to her friend. "How did you get away from the soldiers?"

"I hid," Yui answered. "They were running because they were expecting me to get as far away as I could. They weren't expecting me to stay close and hide."

"A smart move," Matthew nodded as he sat on the edge of the bed. "Now that Miaka's back, we can find the other Celestial Warriors."

"What do you mean 'we'?" Yui asked sternly with a frown. "You still need rest and I don't want you to get injured by aggrivating those wounds!"

"Aw come on Yui!" Matthew whined almost comically. "I've been in this bed for close to three months now. I'm wigging out here!"

"Well that's too bad!" Yui retorted. "I don't want to see you hurt like that ever again and don't think I'm going to let up either. I'm going to make sure you get your rest until you're healthy again!" her expression then turned down as she seemed to recall the bad memeories. "I owe you at least that."

"Yui," Matthew smiled as he stood up to look at her through his good eye. "You don't owe me anything. I'd take on Nakago again and again if it meant I could keep you safe."

"Mnn," Yui mumbled as she blushed brightly at the proclamation.

"Aww," Miaka giggled.

"They're like a married couple!" Hotohori smiled.

"Urk!" Yui and Matthew stiffened while blushing brightly. They both turned to their friends and managed to both cry out at the same time, "IT'S NOT LIKE THAT!"

Hotohori and Miaka both shared a good laugh at the sudden explosion of emotion. When they were finished, Miaka decided to ask a question that had been bugging her ever since she had arrived at the palace.

"Hey, where's Tamahome?" she asked.

"Well," Matthew pondered. "I haven't seen him in a while. I think Nuriko might know. He is the one who sees him the most."

"Okay!" Miaka smiled as she began running from the room. "See you guys later!"

Miaka then ran down the halls trying to find Nuriko. She had an excitement in her chest as she tried to keep calm. She wanted to see Tamahome so badly and nothing was going to stop her. She hadn't been paying too much attention to where she was going until she had almost run into someone wearing a dress.

"Miaka?" the dress wearing person asked. "Oh! It is you!"

"Nuriko?" Miaka blinked at seeing her cross-dressing friend. "Oh, I've been looking for Tamahome. Do you know where he is?"

"Hmm," Nuriko pondered for a moment. "He said he had run into some money. He was going back home. That was a couple of days ago though."

"Oh," Miaka frowned slightly. '_So he wasn't waiting for me after all. Then I guess I'll just have to go find him!_'

--------------------------------

"You're going to find Tamahome?" Hotohori asked as he lokked at Miaka who had come into his throne room.

"Yes," Miaka nodded.

Hotohori started to grow worried, "I surely hope you don't intend to search on your own."

"Of course not! Nuriko's coming with me!" Miaka smiled as she turned to face the other Celestial Warrior. "Right?"

Nuriko just frowned slightly as he stood uncomfortably. He was actully wearing mens clothes for a change. They were green and fit to his figure nicely. A lot of women wuld have drooled over the sight. Too bad for them that Nuriko had other tastes.

"See?" Miaka smiled as she stood next to Nuriko. "He's even dressed as a man. Looking good too!"

"It's just easier to protect you in mens clothes," Nuriko sweatdropped. Hotohori was sure that he was beginning to feel ill for some reason.

"Very well," the young emperor sighed. "Just be careful. There are rumors of Qu-Dong spies. I would hate to see anything happen to you two."

"Oooh! Your Majesty!" Nuriko giggled with sparkly eyes. "You do care about me! I'm so happy!"

"Let's go already!" Maiak growled as she pulled Nuriko away from Hotohori. The young emperor was now very sure that he was beginning to feel ill.

Nuriko was soon on horseback with Miaka as the two rode through the rovince toward where Tamahome was. The sun was beginning to set so it was beginning to cool down for the night. All the while Miaka was silent. She was beginning to have her doubts about what Tamahome was feeling at the moment. She had wanted to be in his arms ever since she got back. She also considered that since it was three months, he might have moved on or even forgotten about her.

"I just can't believe you came back," Nuriko spoke, breaking the silence. "Things have been pretty hectic since you left."

"Yeah, I know," Miaka sighed. "Qu-Dong and all that."

"Not just that," Nuriko added. "Your friend Yui has been all over poor Matthew. Don't tell her this but Matthew has been keeping up his training ever since he was well enough to walk properly."

"Huh?" Miaka blinked. "How do you know that?"

"I spotted him one night after everyone went to bed," Nuriko smiled. "If Yui found out then I'd bet that she would chain him to the bed to make sure he rested. You don't think he developed those nice muscles just by sitting there have you?"

"I guess not," Miaka shrugged before a thought came to her. "Hey! Were you checking him out or something?"

"Of course not!" Nuriko snapped angrily. "You know Hotohori is the only one for me! I was just helping Yui care for him during the rough patches of his recovery. You wouldn't believe how messed up he was. The doctors were amazed that he as able to walk, much less ride. Yui was very distraught so I helped calm her down and care for him. She was a little jumpy around Tamahome and Hotohori for a while."

"I'm not surprised," Miaka frowned. She felt absolutely horrible for not being there for Yui when she needed her. She was just happy that Matthew was despite getting the tar beat out of him by that Qu-Dong general.

"Enough about that," Nuriko began to smirk. "I can't wait to see Tama-baby's face when he sees you again. He'll be so happy."

"He will?" Miaka blinked.

"Oh sure," Nuriko grinned. "You should have seen him. While you were gone he was just so out of it. Birds were landing on him since he was standing still for so long and I even saw him eating a plate when he wasn't paying attention at dinner. I wouldn't worry about being apart from him for this long. He's still stuck on you."

"What?"Miaka gasped. "But...he told me that he didn't have any feelings for me!"

"Oh he probably wasn't aware of it at the moment," Nuriko shrugged.

While the two were talking, they rde into a thick patch of forest. Thanks to the fading light of the forest and the density of the trees, everything was engilfed in pure darkness. Neither Miaka or Nuriko could see anything in front of them, much less the path they were on.

"Hey!" Miaka cried. "How'd it geet so dark?"

"Hmm," Nuriko shrugged. "We must have taken a wrong path or something."

Nuriko was about to turn the horse around when it suddenly took a tumble, sending both riders into the ground. Nuriko hit hard and rolled slightly while Miaka had tumbled over some grass. Both of them took a minute to recover from the shock and sudden fall.

"Miaka?!" Nuriko asked in a panic. "Are you okay?!"

"I'm fine," Miaka grumbled as she put he rhands on her head to get the stars out. As she held one of the buns in her hair she suddenly felt somethimg missing. Her ribbon was missing.

'_Oh no!_' She gasped silently. '_My ribbon! Where'd it go? I'll lose my connection to Keisuke if I lose it!_'

Back in her own world, Miaka had given one of the ribbons she tied around her hair to her brother to make sure she had a connection to her own world for when she wanted to come back. SHe was instantly on her knees looking for it. Her hands were brushing through the grass. She searched for a couple moments before her fingers touched the familiar fabric.

'_I found it!_' Miaka cheered inwardly.

THUNK!

Miaka found a sharp blade that belonged to a sickle embedded in the ground near her fingers. She looked straight up to see a darkened figure holding onto the weapon in front of her.

"Wh-what was that for?" Miaka cried loudly, still shockeed that she had almost had her fingers cut off.

"Who are you!" a male voice shouted back.

Miaka suddenly froze as she heard the voice. She began to slightly tremble as she heard it. She didn't have to be a genius like Yui to be able to recognise it. She continued to stare at the figure as more people holding torches got closer to the two of them. Miaka looked up as light bathed the figure in font of her and revealed him to be none other than Tamahome. The cash-hungry warrior blinked as he saw Miaka standing up in front of him.

"Miaka?" he gasped, almost not believing his eyes.

"Tama...home?" Miaka breathed in almost a whisper.

Tamahome released his weapon and brought both of his hands up to Miaka's cheels to feel her warm skin and to check if it was really her. He could only continue to stare, "Is it...really you?" Miaka just nodded as she brought her own hands up to hold his.

"Has it only been three months?" Tamahome asked with a growing smile. "I swear, it's been a thousand years."

Miaka just started to tear up befroe throwing herself into Tamahome's embrace. Despite the two of them being from different worlds, Miaka didn't care. care about that. She just couldn't help herself. She was just so much in love with Tamahome. She was only gone for a day and she found herself practically going crazy without him.

"I missed you," Tamahome smiled as he and Miaka parted. "You look well. DId you talk to your mom?"

"Uh-huh," Miaka smiled while wiping her eyes. "We didn't exactly reach a truce though."

"Hey you guys," Nuriko's voice suddenly broke through the romantic air. "Are you aware that you have an audience?"

Miaka and Tamahome blushed as they did realise that they were being watched. Several villagers holding torches and weapons were around them. Some were a little confused about what was happening while others just seemed content to let them have their moment.

"Hey Tamahome," one villager called. "Do you knwo these two?"

"Oh," Tamahome blinked as he turned to face the villagers. "Well, this is Miaka. She's the Priestess of Suzaku and this guy's queer."

KLUNK! Nuriko had bopped Tamahome over the head with his fist.

"I-I mean this guy's Nuriko. He's a constellation of Suzaku like me." Tamahome corrected himself.

"Tamahome?" asked Miaka. "What are you doing out here?"

"Well, you heard about Qu-Dong right?" Tamahome replied while turning to her. Miaka nodded. "Well, suspicious folks are poppin up all over lately. Gotta admit, guard duty doesn't pay too bad. Besides, with me guarding this village you have nothing to worry about."

Miaka just smiled as se watched Tamahome go on. She felt so happy that she was with him again. Where she was at the moment didn't matter because she just knew that she was going to be safe as long as she was with him.

In the middle of Miaka's reflection, the torches began to lose their light and all went out at the same moment. The villagers began to panic and shout out for new torches as confusion began to run rampant through the ranks.

"What's going on?"

"There's no wind so what happened?"

"Did someone put the torches out?"

"Everyone justy calm down!" Tamahome shouted over the noise. "All we need to do is have someone go back to the village and get some more torches!"

Miaka was just as confused as anyone. She didn't want to get accidentally trampled by the villagers so she had remained still so that she wouldn't get in the way. As she was waiting, she suddenly felt somethiag moving behind her. She was about to turn and face them when a pair of hands suddeny reached behind her and clamped her hands over her mouth. She then felt herself pulled back into the underbrush. Tamahome had turned to see if she was okay and had managed to see her pulled off at the last minute.

"MIAKA?!" he cried.

To Be Continued.

A/N: Whew! Glad to have that done! How do you like the story twist? I know it's a pretty big change but you'll see how it affects the story later. It also got Matthew to meet Nakago himself. Too bad he almsot got himself killed for it.


End file.
